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SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED ! 

AN EXPOSE OF THE 

ORIGIN, HISTORY, THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY 

OF CERTAIN ALLEGED COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE 

SPIRIT WORLD, 

BY MEANS OF 

"SPIRIT RAPPING; "MEDIUM WRITING; "PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS 

ETC. 

SStttft illustrations. 
A SEW EDITION WITH AN APPENDIX, 

CONTAINING REPLIES TO "PROFESSOR BRITTAN " AND THE TRIBUNE; AND REVIEWS OP 

THE EXPLANATORY THEORIES OF REV. DR. POND, DR. ROGERS, REV. ABEL 

STEVENS, REV. JAMES PORTER, REV. CHARLES BEECHER, 

DR. DODS, PROFESSOR FARADAY, ETC. 

BY REV. II. MATTISOtf, A. M., 

PROFESSOR OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AND ASTRONOMY; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN 
ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE, ETC., ETC. 



«4»*-~ 



NEW YORK: 
J. 0. DERBY, 119 NASSAU STREET 

BOSTON : PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO. CINCINNATI : H. W. DERBY. 

1855. 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, by J. C. DERBY, in the Clerk's Office 

of the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in the 

year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and lifty-five. 



Gift 
rf Estate v 
Henry Ridgsly Evans 

August 17, 1049 
Library af Congress 



W. EL TIXSON, 

"R1XTEK AND STEREOTYPER, 

•i-i Beeltumn Street. 



A 
^ 



sO 



?i 



PREFACE. 



The design of the fallowing pages is to expose one of the most re- 
markable delusions that has ever prevailed in any age or country. 
In all the annals of the past we find nothing at all comparable with 
modern "spirit-rapping." It is the grand climax of soothsaying, as- 
trology, witchcraft, phrenology, mesmerism, clairvoyance, psychology, 
Fourierism, Millerism, Mormonism, and all other superstitions, delu- 
sions, and isms that ever have been, or probably ever will be. 

Appealing to that love of the marvelous, for which, as a nation, we 
are somewhat distinguished, and also to our natural affection for the 
departed ; and not having been regarded hitherto as really worthy of 
refutation ; the delusion has gone on from one step to another, and from 
year to year, till it has undermined the faith of thousands, and has 
already ruined its hundreds for time and for eternity. And yet some 
continue to say, " Let it alone ; it will soon die of itself" But are such 
counsels wise ? Why is it not dead already ? Is silence the best anti- 
dote for the spread of error ? Especially, are watchmen placed upon 
the walls of Zion, and pledged to "banish and drive away all erroneous 
and strange doctrines contrary to God's Word," to discharge their duty 
by a studied silence ? Alas for us and for the cause of God, when such 
comes to be the general policy of Christian ministers ! 

"I am perfectly aware," says Rev. Dr. Clark, of Hartford, "that to 
ascribe so much importance to such a subject as this, will lead those 
who know nothing about it, to suspect the soundness of one's judg- 
ment, and it will be said that our wisest course is to let it alone ; it is 
one of the humbugs of the day, and will soon die of itself. It may be 
so, but the indications do not point that way at present." 
i "Few really know," says the Journal of Commerce, "how the belief 
in the spiritual nature of these rappings is increasing. And this, too, 
not among the ignorant, but among men of learning and standing in 
society." The " spiritualists," as they style themselves, now number 
their "mediums" by thousands, and their disciples by tens of thousands. 
They are making powerful efforts to disseminate their principles by 
means of lectures, books, and papers ; and are now organizing for a 



4 PREFACE. 

regular and concerted movement against the Bible and all our religious 
institutions. "There is a work going on in this spiritualistic move- 
ment," says a distinguished minister, " which we shall soon be obliged 
to meet, in some more potent way than mere official malediction. It i3 
undermining the ancient faith in many quarters more effectually, be- 
cause more secretly, than any other influence now at work in our com- 
munity." 

With these views and sentiments I most heartily concur; and it is 
under similar convictions that I have bought and examined spirit 
books, taken periodicals, and made experiments, and lectured and 
written. And to have done otherwise, under the circumstances, would 
have been to have disregarded the clearest convictions of duty. 

In regard to the best mode of treating such a subject, different views 
may be entertained. To me it seemed important to vindicate the Sa- 
cred Writings, as the only infallible standard of truth, and to set forth 
their teachings, in regard to the intermediate state, as beyond all con- 
troversy. In contrast with these, I judged it best fully to state, and 
even to illustrate the new " spirit" philosophy ; that its absurdities might 
be the more apparent, and the impression made the more vivid and 
distinct. Hence the cuts are mere pictorial representations of princi- 
ples or phenomena described by the " spiritualists" themselves. If, 
therefore, they complain of the cuts, they must lay the blame to .their 
own bad " philosophy," and not to the author or publishers. 

In the progress of the expose, it has been thought best to cite numer 
ous quotations from the writings of the spirit-rappers, not only to sustain 
the general propositions respecting their views, but to place every point 
charged beyond all cavil. Many of these quotations, I am aware, ar*t 
of the most pernicious character ; and if found in any other book than 
a professed unveiling of a dark and iniquitous system, their repetition 
would be not only an offense against good taste, but a questionable an- 
tidote to error. But, under the circumstance, I had no alternative but 
to leave the infidelity and licentiousness of the system to be admitted 
upon my bare assertion, or to support every charge by indubitable 
proof. The latter course was judged to promise the best results, and 
was consequently adopted. Indeed, it would be impossible to review 
and expose a system of error fairly and effectually, without quoting from 
the works containing it. 

Of the literary character of the work it is due to say, that it has been 
written in the midst of other and pressing duties, and in much less time 
than should have been devoted to it. Not a page of it has been trans- 
cribed or rewritten. It would be strange, therefore, if it was not in 
many respects unfinished. Still, it will probably be understood, even 
by unlettered readers, and that is the main thing desired. 



PREFACE. 5 

As to the style and price of the book, the author has no control or 
responsibility. Not wishing the care and trouble of publishing it myself, 
it was placed in the hands of an enterprising and honorable publishing 
house, and appears in good style, and at as low a price as circum- 
stances would justify. The engravings add materially to the expense 
of publication. 

May the God of the Holy Bible — the Author of everlasting life — 
approve and bless the effort to vindicate His own truth, and to save 
His people from error and sin, and from their consequences, now and 
hereafter 

JSfew York, Nov. 1854. H. MATTISON 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. — History and alleged phenomena. 

Origin of Spirit-rapping — Its Progress — Eocent alleged Phenomena — Eapping and 
Writing Media— Speaking by "Afflatus" — Seeing and hearing Media — Physical De- 
monstrations, &c 9 

CHAPTER IT. — Alleged causes — theory of spiritual intercourse. 
Disembodied spirits — Spheres and Circles— Progress — Low and high spirits. . 16 

CHAPTER III. — Standard of truth — the bible on psychology. 

Truth distinguished from Error only by comparison with some acknowledged Stand- 
ard — The Bible treats fully of Spiritual Matters : of Man, his Origin, Nature, and Des 
tiny : of various Sciences, but never in Error — Good Authority on Psychology— En 
dorsed by "Spirits" — Often appealed to by Necromancers 24 

CHAPTER IV.— The intermediate state. 

The Soul distinct from the Body — Nature of Death — Souls do not linger about 
their former Homes, or the Grave of the Body — Depart from Earth — Intermediate 
State — Not to return till the Second Coming of Christ and the General Resurrec- 
tion 28 

CHAPTER V.— Ministering spirits. 

Who are the " Ministering Spirits" of the Bible — Angels not the spirits of men — 
Good and evil angels 89 

CHAPTER VI. — Witches, wizards, etc., of the bible. 

Origin of Witchcraft— Witches and Wizards— Necromancers and Soothsayers — As- 
trologers and Magicians — Modern Fortune-tellers — How classified in the Scriptures — 
Denounced by Jehovah — Simon Magus — Elymas— Ghost-books burned — " Medium" 

at Philippi 42 

i 

CHAPTER VII. — Apparitions, ancient and modern. 

Apparitions of the Bible— Modern ghosts— Who see them — Why so seldom seen — 
When and where— Ghosts ©aught— Different kinds — General conclusion respect- 
ing 49 



CONTENTS. 7 

CHAPTER VIII.- -Various alleged spirit media considered. 

Recent " Spirit Communications" — Various Modes of Communication — Rapping 
Process — Card Process — Writing Media — Hand used by a Spirit — Spiritual Atmos- 
phere Process — Spirit Occupation Process — Spiritual Impression Process — Spirit Pho- 
nography — Independent Spirit Writing — Speaking Media — A Spirit Lecture — Several 
Spirits in one Body — Trance — Pointing Media — Dancing Media 52 

CHAPTER IX.— Theology of the "spirits. 1 ' 

Sources of information — Both matter and spirit eternal — Man never fell— Needs 
no conversion — Christ a mere man — Never made any atonement — Never rose from 
the dead — Never wrought any miracles— Borrowed his wisest sayings— The Bible not 
of God— One of the worst of books— No devils — No hell — No resurrection — No Day 
of Judgment — Christianity no blessing — Ministers hypocrites — Churches must bo 
broken up— Civil government abolished— No Sabbaths — Marriages annulled— Practical 
nullification— Summary of spirit theology — Who are the "mediums? 11 — Davis, Ham- 
mond, Brittan, Post, Ballou, Partridge, Spear, Hoar, Winchester, Ambler, Harshman, 
Boynton, &c $3 

CHAPTER X. — Literature of the " spirits." 

Spirits alone responsible— Mediums in the fog— Not to be relied upon — What have 
they revealed ? — Spirit orthography — "George Washington V spelling — Mr. Brittan 
correcting John Wesley's communication — A sublime production — Spirit poetry, from 
Franklin and Washington — Spirits forgetting how to spell their own names — Palpable 
forgeries — Spirit autographs — Spirit Hebrew — Translation by Professor Vail. . . 108 

CHAPTER XL — Science and philosophy of the "spirits." 

Spirit astronomy — An interview with " the Seer" — Spirit cosmogony — " Develop- 
ment 11 theory — Mr. Davis 1 illustrious ancestry — Spirit geology — A spirit plagiarism — 
New motive power — Essence of spirit discovered— New mode of education— Taking 
the lightning out of a lady — " Spiricity 11 in the lump— "Tom PaineV 1 philosophy — 
The earth self-luminous — The sun opake— True source of " spirit philosophy. . . 121 

CHAPTFR XII. — Mistakes and contradictions of the "spirits." 

Number of spirit spheres— Distances — Spirit homes— Intercourse just opened, and 
yet opened ages ago — Deceptions exposed by a rapper— Tom Paine contradicting 
himself— Laval ette and George Fox at odds — California mediums and election re- 
turns — Another medium in a fix — Still another ditto— Philadelphia mediums in error 
— Another spirit plagiarism — Books and no books in the Schools of the Spheres — 
"John Wesley 11 contradicting himself— Mr. Harvey's "spirits 11 all Methodists— Le 
Eoy Sunderland done for — The Fox girls ditto 132 

CHAPTER XIII.- Astonishing revelations by the spirits. 

What have they revealed ?— Davis 1 sublime philosophy — Judge Edmonds 1 "kitten" 
—Learning to write in the Spheres— Ladies most intellectual — Bloomer dresses to 
prevail — Ladies to pay addresses to the gentlemen — All to live without eating — 
"Pay the printer" — Spirit wanting gin — Spirits want money in the Spheres — Birds 
and other animals in the Spheres — Playing cards in the Spheres — Parties, balls, raid 
concerts in the Spheres -A battle in the Spheres — Spirits won't serve the press — 
Won't operate in public— Deception and collusion 142 



o CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIV. — Effects of spout-happing. 

Frauds by the spirits— Spiritual banking— Kuin of George Doughty— Insanity— Or- 
ville Hatch— Melissa Haynes— Adaline (3. Moore— Robert G. Shaw— Samuel Cole- 
Ninety insane rappers— Remarks of Judge Rosevelt— Tendency to suicide— Bishop 
Peabody— Mrs. Rich— S. W. Lincoln— Murder by a medium— Suicide of Matthew 
Langdon 154 

CHAPTER XV. — Causes of alleged spiritual phenomena. 

Sophistry of the rappers — Rapping in a school-room with the toes — Discovery by 
the Buffalo physicians— Detection of the Fox girls— Rapping with the feet or ankles 
— "Wiseacres deceived by a young girl — Medium tables with machinery — Disclosure 
at Hartford— Statement of Mr. Pack— Confession and affidavit of Mr. Beardslee — Ex- 
perience of Mr. Burr— Physical demonstration— Moving of Tables. 167 

CONCLUSION. 

Keep away from the " circles"— Of ghost-books and papers — A. word to ministers- 
Appeal to the press — A word to mediums . 188 



APPENDIX. 



CHAPTER I. — Replies to my Reviewers. 
The " Spiritual Telegraph" — "Professor Brittan's" annihilating 
Review — Reply to " Professor Brittan." 193 

CHAPTER II. — Theories explanatory of Spirit-rapping. 

Br. Enoch Pond's Three-fold Explanation— Dr. Rogers' " Odic Force" 

Theory — Rev. Abel Stevens and the National Magazine — Rev. James 

Porter's Explanation — Rev. Charles Beecher's u Report" — Doctor Dods' 

Involuntary Theory — Professor Faraday's Explanation. . . . 203 

CHAPTER III. — Interesting recent Developments. 
The Challenge Accepted — Mrs. French ; a Libel Suit, almost — Addi- 
tional Cases of Insanity — Spiritual Free-love-ism 233 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



CHAPTER I 



Origin of Spirit-rapping — Its Progress — Eecent alleged Phenomena — Rap- 
ping and Writing Media — Speaking by "Afflatus" — Seeing and hearing 
Media — Physical Demonstrations, &c. 

It is now several years since the first accounts of spirit-rap- 
ping were published to the world. Two young ladies by the 
name of Fox, residing in the city of Rochester, N. Y., heard 
certain strange and unaccountable rappings about their room ; 
and on asking whence the noise proceeded, the invisible agents 
called for the alphabet (how, we know not), and, by rapping 
out certain letters and words, indicated that they were the 
spirits of the dead, and wished to communicate with them ! 
Such was the commencement of what was first known as the 
" Rochester Knockings." 

For some time after the opening of the supposed intercourse 
between the dead and the living, no messages of any extent 
were received : they were all very brief and orthodox. But 
the news that messages from the unseen state were being re- 
ceived at Rochester spread like wildfire, and was read every- 
where with avidity. The staid and sober portion of the press 
gave the alleged facts, but withheld their endorsement ; while 
a few editors were found who lent their columns and their in- 
fluence to foster the new-born wonder. 

In almost every community some were found who at once 
had full faith in the spirit-rappings ; and, in a short time, such 
disciples, and others who were not believers, but wished to see 
and hear for themselves, began to flock to Rochester, and in- 



10 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

quire /or " the Fox family." The young ladies soon found 
theuuelves in great demand. As "mediums,"* through whom 
the •• spirits" had deigned to communicate with this lower 
world, they could not, of course, be otherwise than wise and 
good, and were caressed and admired by troops of pilgrims to 
our modern Mecca. This, of itself, was doubtless highly grati- 
fying to the young ladies, especially as, but for the distinction 
conferred upon them by the spirits, they might have lived and 
died in obscurity, as 

" Many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 

But smiles, and adulation, and expressions of astonishment 
would not buy fine furniture, nor rich clothing, nor ornaments. 
Besides, it was no small trouble to be consulted so often, and 
by so many, so that the Misses Fox were compelled, in self- 
defence, to charge a small fee for admission to their " circles." 
This feature of the " knockings" (of course, not anticipated at 
the first, but now fully sanctioned by the " spirits") was soon 
noised abroad wherever the first tidings had gone ; when lo ! 
in a very short time, the " raps" began to be heard all over the 
land! 

From this small beginning the spirit-communication business 
has gone on, till men and women have been " developed" from 
"rapping mediums" to write and speak for the spirits, to see 
and hear them, and to be the media and witnesses of the most 
astonishing " physical manifestations." Hundreds, if not thou- 
sands, have fully embraced the faith of spirit revelations ; some 
eight or ten periodicals have been started, devoted to the spread 
of the "new philosophy;" and from fifteen to twenty different 
volumes have been published, in different parts of the country, 
all professedly written by the spirits of the dead, and unfold- 
ing the secrets of the unseen world ! 

Such, in brief, is the history of the rise and progress of our 
modern necromancers, down to the present writing ; and though 

* We prefer the word mediums to media, because more easily under- 
stood by general readers. 



TREATMENT OF SPIRITISTS. 11 

the reader may exclaim with St. James, " Behold how great a 
matter a little fire kindleth !" the fact cannot be denied, that 
whether a reality or a deception, the doctrine that the spirits of 
the dead are in constant communication with our world, through 
certain mediums, is already the faith of thousands ; many of 
whom, we should suppose, had too much sound sense, and were 
too well versed in the teachings of the Bible, to be led away 
by such a delusion. But what error was ever promulgated that 
did not find its votaries ? Even the licentious vagaries of 
Mormonism have built a city, and peopled a state ; and what 
wonder if the spirit-rapping enterprise should be equally suc- 
cessful ! 

There are, no doubt, some who have fallen in with this new 
mania who are honest and sincere at heart — deceived, and not 
deceiving. We have known a few such, men and women of 
prayer, conscientious and upright, but whose judgments were 
not perfect, though their motives and intentions were good, and 
who, consequently, were beguiled into a belief in this "vain 
philosophy," while they honestly intended to follow nothing 
but the truth. Such persons should be treated with great ten- 
derness and forbearance by friends, and especially by their pas- 
tors and brethren, if members of the church of God. The 
views they cherish may be more their misfortune than their 
fault ; and it becomes us, in all such cases, to endeavor to re- 
store such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering that we 
ourselves may also be tempted. 

Should this book fall into the hands of any who fear God, 
and wish to know the truth, and yet have been inclined to be- 
lieve in the reality of the alleged " spirit manifestations," I shall 
have full confidence that such readers will be set right by the 
perusal of its pages, will cut loose from the fireship before 
it consumes them, and will join us not only in pursuing the 
" old paths," that lead to heaven, but in exposing and arrest- 
ing this terrible delusion, that is spreading so fearfully over our 
country, and leaving blight and mildew in its path wherever it 
goes. 

Having thus glanced at the rise and progress of the recent 



12 SP1BIT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 

"spirit" movement, I shall now enter upon a direct examination 
of its claims, as set forth by its advocates, and professedly by 
the "spirits'' themselves. First, then, let us inquire, What are 
the phenomena alleged to have been exhibited, and which are re- 
ferred, for their cause, to the agency of the spirits of the dead ? 
That we may do no injustice to the friends of the new doc- 
trines, the alleged phenomena shall be stated in the language 
of one of their most zealous and able advocates. We quote 
from " An Exposition of Views respecting the principal Facts, 
Cases, and Peculiarities involved in Spirit Manifestations, &c, 
dr., by Adin Ballou." The principal phenomena, as laid 
down by this writer, are the following : 

" 1. Making peculiar noises, indicative of more or less intelligence — 
such as knockings, rappings, jarrings, creakings, tickings, imitation of 
many sounds known in the different vicissitudes of human life, musical 
intonations, and, in rare instances, articulate speech. Some cf these vari- 
ous sounds are very loud, distinct, and forcible ; others, low, less distinct, 
and more gentle, but all audible realities. , 

" 2. The moving of material substances, with like indications of intel- 
ligence — such as tables, sofas, light-stands, chairs, and various other arti- 
cles, shaking, tipping, sliding, raising them clear of the floor, placing 
them in new positions (all this sometimes in spite of athletic and heavy 
men doing their utmost to hold them down) ; taking up the passive body 
of a person, and carrying it from one position to another across the 
room, through mid-air ;* opening and shutting doors ; thrumming musi- 
cal instruments ; undoing well-clasped pocket-books, taking out their con- 
tents, and then, by request, replacing them as before ; writing with pens, 
pencils, and other substances, both liquid and solid — sometimes on paper, 
sometimes on common slates, and sometimes on the ceilings of a room, <fcc. 

" 3. Causing catalepsy, trance, clairvoyance, and various involuntary 
muscular, nervous, and mental activity in mediums, independent of any 
will or conscious psychological influence by men in the flesh, and then 
through such mediums, speaking, writing, preaching, lecturing, philoso- 
phizing, prophesying, etc. 

"'4. Presenting apparitions — in some instances, of a spirit hand and 
arm ; in others, of the whole human form ; and in others, of several de- 
ceased persons conversing together ; causing distinct touches to be felt by 
the mortal living, grasping and shaking their hands, and giving many 
other sensible demonstrations of their existence. 

" 5. Through these various manifestations communicating to men in 

* See cut on the opposite page. 



PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS . 



13 



" PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS."* 




4he flesh numberless affectionate and intelligent assurances of an immor 
tal existence, messages of consolation, and annunciations of distant 
events unknown at the time, but subsequently corroborated ; predictions 
of forthcoming occurrences subsequently verified, forewarning^ against 
impending danger, medicinal prescriptions of great efficacy, wholesome 
reproofs, admonitions, and counsels, expositions of spiritual, theological, 
religious, moral, and philosophical truths appertaining to the present and 
future states, and important to human welfare in every sphere of exist- 
ence, sometimes comprised in a single sentence, and. sometimes in an 
ample book." 

" This/' says Mr. Ballou, " is a general statement of the 
facts to be considered and disposed of in a just discussion of 
this subject." But this catalogue of phenomena was written 
more than eight months ao-o, since which time other events still 

* These alleged movements of ponderable substances, without any 
visible cause, are usually denominated " physical demonstrations." In 
this cut, the wonders discovered by Mr. B. are presented to the eye. 
The " medium" sits on the right, waving her hand, to direct the various 
movements. The table will tip up with a heavy man on it ; other arti- 
cles are flying about the room, and "the passive body" of another 
" athletic and heavy man" is seen in the act of being " carried from one 
position to another across the room, through mid-air I" He has not so 
much as a broomstick to ride upon. 

2 



11 SriRIT-RAPPING UNVEiLED. 

more marvelous have transpired. Not only have " prescrip- 
tions of great efficacy'' been given by spirits, if we are rightly 
informed, but in some cases, the spirits of several deceased 
physicians have been seen consulting together in regard to the 
sick ; and in one case, it is said that a large tumor was re- 
moved from the person of a lady, in a most skillful manner, by 
the spirit of a deceased surgeon ! 

To the above phenomena we must now add the Hebrew and 
other ancient languages said to have been written by spirits in 
the room of Mr. Fowler (of which we shall speak more fully 
hereafter), and also the following, which has appeared in the 
" Peoples Paper" under the heading of " The Spirit World," 
and over the signature of Thomas Dexter, Brooklyn : 

" The family of Mr. Snyder, of Astoria, are all mediums, even to a 
little infant not two years old, through whom most remarkable demon- 
strations have been had. What think you of a child not twenty months 
old, sitting down to a table and writing out lengthy communications in 
Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and many of the living languages, including the 
English ? What think you of a girl, not fifteen, taking up a pencil and 
drawing you a portrait of some deceased friend, who died years before 
she was born ? 

" A friend of mine, a resident of Greenpoint, who a few months ago 
fell and dislocated his hip, was measurably cured by attendant spirits ; 
and when enabled to rise from his couch, and while sitting one afternoon 
in his parlor, with the assistance of crutches, they were forcibly with- 
drawn, and himself/ raised as if by the grasp of strong men, walked up 
and down the floor for some time, even in opposition to his willj his 
limbs exercised and much benefited thereby. There were several 
persons who witnessed this extraordinary circumstance. The crutches 
were apparently held by invisible hands and carried up and down the 
room with him, but at a distance of from three to four feet from his 
person. The same gentleman informs me that on several occasions lie 
has seen the radiant form of Ins deceased daughter, and distinctly felt 
the tresses of her hair !"* 

* " I could fill volumes with facts," says Mr. D. " But, say some 
ot my readers, how are we to know that these statements of yours are 
true ? You certainly cannot, unless you take my word for it," &c. But 
why not go and see the " child not twenty months old" write " Greek, 
Hebrew, and Latin?" A two-cent ferry only separates the writer from 
Mr. D., and it is but a short distance to Astoria, and we will go with 



ASSUMPTION NOT ARGUMENT. 15 

These, also, and many other recent phenomena, must now 
be added to Mr. B.'s "statement of facts," so that we may be 
able to "consider and dispose of" all of them at the same 
time. It is rather remarkable, however, that instead of ad- 
ducing proof that the alleged phenomena are facts, Mr. B. 
disposes of that important part of his duty by writing the 
following brief sentence : — " If any man presume to deny that 
they are facts, he is either one who, having never investigated 
the subject, is grossly ignorant of its merits ; or who, pre- 
tending to have investigated it, is grossly dishonest /■"* But 
suppose one as honest and as intelligent as Mr. B. should say, 
" I have investigated this subject thoroughly, by reading, ob- 
servation, and experiment, and the facts assumed by Mr. B. 
are not facts ; the phenomena never took place, and no man 
or set of men living can cause them to take place, by the aid 
of " spirits" or in any other way ; what, then, would become 
of Mr. B.'s castle built upon this bare assumption ? And yet 
such is precisely the state of the argument so far as Mr. B.'s 
" exposition" is -concerned. But let that pass for the present. 
It is enough that we have an authentic list of the alleged phe- 
nomena, preparatory to a consideration of the supposed causes 
of these wonderful " manifestations." 

him any day he may designate, and will give him $ 100 to show us 
what he here pretends to have seen. Tliat will settle the matter much 
quicker than- any man's word, and to the pecuniary profit of Mr. Dexter. 
Let U3 have the truth of these statements fairly tested. 

* If the reader has any doubts as to the alleged " facts," he may avail 
himself of the indulgence of Mr. Ballon, who, after pronouncing every 
doubter either a knave or a fool, remarks, that " if any honestly doubt 
for want of adequate opportunity to observe the phenomena, or to ex- 
amine testimony, they will of course suspend judgment till they can 
avail themselves of the necessary information. Light awaits all such," 
tfcc. The reader is at liberty, therefore, to remain in a state of sus- 
pended judgment if he choose, till he has " opportunity to observe the 
phenomena, or to examine the testimony ;" and if, after repeated efforts 
here and there, he should fail to find any phenomena, except on the lips 
cr in the books of our modern ghostmongers, he will be at liberty, we sup- 
pose, to keep his judgment " suspended" till the requisite " testimony" 
is adduced, Many thanks to Mr. Ballou for this gracious indulgence. 



16 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



CHAPTER II. 

Alleged causes of the new Phenomena — Theory of Spirit Intercourse — 
Spheres and Circles — Progress — Low and high Spirits. 

Having now an understanding of the alleged phenomena of 
" spiritualism," it is appropriate to inquire after the causes of 
these remarkable manifestations. True, it would not be out of 
place thus early in the discussion to inquire whether there was 
any reliable evidence that these wonders ever transpired ; but 
waiving this inquiry for the present, let us examine the theory 
by which our modern " illuminati" account for these miracles. 

One of the first disclosures of the " spirits" at Rochester 
was to introduce and identify themselves to " the Fox girls." 
" We are the spirits of the dead," said they ; and from that 
time onward the rapping, writing, physical demonstrations, 
&c, have all been attributed to the spirits of the dead — our 
parents, children, and friends, whose bodies we have buried. 
But it was not enough for the " spirits" to assert that they 
were about our world rapping, and creaking, and tipping, and 
jarring, as Mr. B. has it, but they have constructed, by the aid 
of their friends on earth, a regular theory of spiritual inter- 
course. This theory, so far as we have been able to gather it 
from numerous descriptions and several illustrative diagrams, 
is substantially as follows : 

1. Commencing at the earth's centre and proceeding out- 
ward in all directions, the surrounding space is divided into 
seven concentric spheres, rising one above and outside the other. 
Each of these seven " spheres" or spaces is again divided into 
seven equal parts, called " circles ;" so that the whole " spirit 
world" consists of an immense globe of ether, divided into 
seven spheres and forty-nine circles, and in the midst of which 
our own globe is located. 



CIRCLES AND SPHERES. 



17 



The following cut, from " The Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine 
and others to the Seventh Circle" &c, will illustrate the theory. 
It is entitled a " diagram representing the different 



CIRCLES AND SPHERES IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. 




This remarkable diagram is accompanied by the following 
sublime " explanation/' we suppose of the qualities of the 
different circles in the first sphere, though the explanation does 
not say to which set of figures in the diagram it refers. We 
give it, however, precisely as we find it. 

[explanation.] 

1. Wisdom, wholly selfish, or seeking selfish good. 

2. Wisdom, controlled by popular opinion. 

3. Wisdom, independent of popularity, but not perfect. 

4. Wisdom, which seeks others' good and not evil. 

5. Wisdom in purity, or a circle of Purity. 

6. Wisdom, in perfection to prophecy. 

7. Wisdom, to instruct all others of less wisdom. 

2* 



18 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



This diagram, it will be seen, gives us a view of only two of 
the seven spheres, so that we must imagine the remaining five 
spheres and thirty-five circles extending outward still beyond 
those represented in the diagram. 

2. But it so happens that this sphere theory is by no means 
original with the " spirits." It is substantially the old Ptole- 
maic theory of the structure of the material universe, not oi 
the spirit world. Ptolemy was an Egyptian philosopher who 
taught astronomy in the second century of the Christian era. 

PTOLEMAIC THEORY OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE. 




He taught that the earth was a plane instead of a globe, and 
inhabited only on the " upper side," that it was surrounded 
by eight chrystalline spheres, in which the sun, moon, and stars 
were set, viz., the Moon in the first ; Mercury in the second ; 
Venus in the third ; the Sun in the fourth ; Mars in the fifth ; 
Jupiter in the sixth ; Saturn in the seventh ; and the Fixed 
Stars in the eighth. Ptolemy had no knowledge of Uranus or 
Neptune. 



PLAGIARISM OF THE " SPIRI1S. 19 

According to the Ptolemaic theory these ponderous spheres 
revolved westward around the earth every twenty-four hours, 
carrying the sun, moon, and stars with them, &c. The chief 
points of difference between the recent " spirit" theory and the 
ancient theory of Ptolemy, are the following : 

(1.) Ptolemy had eight spheres instead of seven. 

(2.) He did not divide his spheres into " circles." 

(3.) His spheres were solid crystal, instead of open space. 

(4.) They were simply constructed to place the sun, moon, 
planets, and stars in, to keep them from falling down to the 
earth, and to carry them around westward, and not as the 
abodes of spirits in any sense. Indeed Ptolemy placed his 
" elysium" beyond the eighth sphere altogether ; and little did 
he think while constructing a theory upon which to account 
for the movements of the heavenly bodies, that he was framing 
the structure of " the spirit world !"* 

3. The old physical theory of Ptolemy was first " spiritual- 
ized" by Emanuel Swedenborg — a visionary dreamer from 
whose writings Prof. Bush, Andrew Jackson Davis, and other 
"spirit" philosophers have all taken their cue. So that neither 
the " spirits" nor their mundane followers can justly claim the 
honor of having discovered the " sphere" philosophy. It is an 
old physical vagary, long since repudiated by all well-informed 
persons, but recently spiritualized and promulgated as a valu- 
able revelation from the spirit world ! Wonder if Ptolemy 
does not regard it as an infringement of his patent ? 

" When a man dies," says the new philosophy, " his soul 
ascends at once to that sphere for which it is fitted by know- 
ledge and goodness on earth ;" and from that point ascends or 
progresses outward, from circle to circle, and from sphere to 
sphere, increasing in knowledge and happiness as it goes, till 
it reaches the seventh circle of the seventh sphere, which is 
the highest degree of knowledge and bliss to which it is pos- 

* For a more detailed description of this ancient theory of Astronomy, 
the reader is referred to the author's "Primary Astronomy" page 
eighth, from which the above cut is taken, or to the "High School As* 
tronomy" page twelfth. 



20 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 




sible to attain in the " spirit 
world." And what is quite re- 
markable, though there are many 
" low spirits' ' in the " second 
sphere," as well as in the " rudi- 
mental sphere" in which we live, 
yet they are ever advancing or 
growing better, and can never gr 
worse. True, the spirits of the 
upper spheres can descend through 
all intervening spheres and circles to 
the rudimental and help their tardy 
brethren up, but the " low spirits 
never pull their more advanced 
brethren doivn. So we suppose, 
by parity of reasoning, that none 
grow worse but all are growing bet- 
ter in our present " rudimental 
sphere." 

5. The theory of " progress" as the 
spirit advances through the spheres is 
strikingly illustrated by the adjoin- 
ing cut. It is copied verbatim from 
" Love and Wisdom from the spirit 
world/ 7 by Jacob Harshman, medium ; 
and purports to have been drawn by 
the spirit of J. V. Wilson. The re- 
marks respecting the cut, and accom- 
panying it, are quoted precisely as 
given by the spirit. 

In the same work we have another 
diagram, somewhat different, but de- 
signed to illustrate the same law of 
progress, and as it is a most convincing and interesting dia- 
gram, we insert it for the edification of our readers. 





"This shows a law of pro- 
gression — how the spirit must, 
progressing, go from one de- 
gree to that of another. This 
is the spiritual nature in man 
that makes him a progressing 
being, and prepares him for a 
higher sphere. — J. V. Wilson. 1 ' 



SPIRIT ILLUSTRATIONS. 



21 



LAW OF PROGRESS. 




" This diagram," says the spirit of Mr. Wilson, through Mr. Harshman, 
i represents the spirit's progression ; the spirit in its rudimental sphere 
takes its starting point at the small end of the diagram, and as it advan- 
ces it increases in truth and wisdom, and in all the moral, intellectual, 
and spiritual attributes of a superior being ; and so it will continue on 
throughout infinite duration ; this is the course that spirits must go, 
and the sooner the spirit strives to develop its spiritual nature in order 
that it may contain more wisdom to enable it to progress more rapidly, 
the sooner it will be enabled to enjoy the happiness that is laid out for 
spirits in their progress." — Love and Wisdom, p. 14. 

To make the above diagram correspond with the sphere 
theory and the preceding illustration, the spirit should have 
divided it into seven parts, and placed a head over each, ex- 
panding as it advances, thus : 




We hope none of our readers will regard it as irreverent to 
suggest an improvement in a diagram drawn by a " spirit," as 
for aught we know Mr. J. V. Wilson may be a " low spirit," 
inferior even to some in the " rudimental state." 

Let us now put these various descriptions and illustrations 
together, and see how they will look when presented to the 
eye in one grand progressive " diagram of the spirit world." 

In accordance with the theory already described and illus- 
trated, it is assumed by our modern necromancers that the 
spirits of the dead descend to the earth or " rudimental 
sphere" at pleasure, and thus communicate from time to time, 
and in various ways, with certain favored mortals called 
" mediums." At the same time they belong each to his own 
sphere, respectively, according to the time he has been " pro- 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 




THE " NEW PHILOSOPHY.'' 23 

gressing," and his head is large or small according to the sphere 
to which he has attained. Indeed the earth, seen in the center 
of the cut, is a small affair compared with the heads of some 
of the sixth and seventh sphere progressives. 

In regard to the sphere theory several questions will at once 
suggest themselves to the mind of the reader. 

(1.) How happens it that the main features of it were pro- 
mulgated by Ptolemy fifteen centuries ago, as the physical 
theory of the material universe ? 

(2.) If all spirits are bodies, as taught by the new philoso- 
phy, and their heads become as large in the distant spheres as 
is represented by the spirit of J. V. Wilson, we should like to 
know how it is that so many of these immense heads can swarm 
around our little globe without coming in contact, to the great 
injury of their " cerebral developments ?" Let the reader send 
twenty of the sixth or seventh sphere heads down to the first 
circle of the first sphere if he can, without either blending 
heads into each other (to say nothing of con*esponding bodies), 
or actually knocking out each other's brains ! This giving 
spirits material bodies, and then making them so very large, 
does not allow of their being brought into very narrow quar- 
ters ; and rather excludes all but the " low" or small-headed 
spirits from visiting the " rudimental state." 

(3.) In the technical language of the new philosophy, all 
messages from the higher spheres are " disclosures from the 
interior," i. e., the outer spheres. This use of the term " in- 
terior" which, according to the diagram, and the prevailing 
ideas of mortals, would indicate some place in the bowels of 
the earth, is used by the " spirits" to signify the more remote 
circles and spheres ; or in other words, interior means exterior, 
and vice versa. 

(4.) It is somewhat singular that none of the "old mediums" 
(as the spirits are pleased to call the Prophets and Apostles), 
ever said any thing about this " sphere" and " circle" arrange- 
ment. Why is this ? Was it not then in existence, or was 
the world at that time unprepared to receive so sublime a phi- 
losophy ? So much for the " philosophy of spiritual intercourse." 



24 SPIKIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



CHAPTER III. 

Truth distinguished from Error only by comparison with some acknowl- 
edged Standard— The Bible treats fully of Spiritual Matters : of Man, his 
Origin, Nature, and Destiny : of various Sciences, but never in Error — 
Good Authority on Psychology— Endorsed by " Spirits"— Often ap- 
pealed to by Necromancers. 

Whoever enters upon the investigation of any subject, po- 
litical, historical, scientific, or religious, starts off with the as- 
sumption that some things are already known, i. e., certain 
points are settled, and need no discussion. The astronomer 
assumes the truth of the Coperniean theory ; the chemist that 
different elements have different affinities, &c. ; and the books 
in which these indisputable facts are laid down are regarded, 
so far at least, as standard works. And as they proceed with 
their inquiries, whatever contradicts these established and un- 
alterable facts, is regarded as false in theory. Thus a system 
that did not recognize the Laws of Gravitation, or in other 
words was, in this respect, at war with the principles of nature, 
would be rejected at once as visionary. There must be some 
first princi-ples, — some infallible standard with which to compare 
and by which to test all supposed discoveries, otherwise we 
might never be able to distinguish truth from error ; and that 
standard must always be found in the same branch of science 
or art in which these new phenomena are to be classified. We 
should never test music by Euclid, nor perspective drawing by 
a volume of Draper. 

Let us apply these principles to the subject before us. 
Certain phenomena are alleged, and an explanation given, all 
of which are said to relate most intimately to man — to his 
physical, mental, and moral natures — to his present state and 
his condition after death. Nay, more ; these phenomena, and 
the theory based upon them, are set forth as pre-eminently 
" spiritual ;" indeed as the only spiritual doctrines in the land. 



STANDARD OF TRUTH, 25 

Our first business, then, is to determine with what to com- 
pare this new theory, and what to regard as standard upon 
this psychobgical and spiritual subject; and its very nature 
will at once suggest the Bible as the first and most important 
touchstone. If it involves Philosophy, Chemistry, Astronomy, 
or History, let those parts of the subject which fall under 
these several heads be tried respectively by the canons of Phi- 
losophy, Chemistry, Astronomy, and History ; but as the gen- 
eral subject is one of psychology, spiritualism, and super- 
naturalism, let it be first tested by that book which, above all 
others, covers the whole field of modern Necromancy. 

The reasonableness of testing the " New Philosophy" first 
by the Sacred Writings, will appear from the following con- 
siderations : 

(1.) The Bible treats professedly and originally of spiritual 
and supernatural subjects; and more fully than all other books 
on earth. 

(2.) It treats especially of Man — his Origin, Nature, and 
Destiny — of Psychology, or the distinct existence of the soul, 
its separation from the body at death, and its condition after 
death — of the relations of the present to the boundless future — 
of angels — of Necromancy as such, and of the spirit world. 

(3.) Though this book has been in being from eighteen to 
thirty-three centuries, during ail of which time its first utter- 
ances have remained unaltered, while every branch of science 
has been growing and advancing, there has not a real discovery 
been made, from first to last, in any department of study, that 
when fairly submitted to the test, has been found at variance 
with the Bible. 

" Notwithstanding the time and circumstances under which this book 
was written, and the variety of topics upon which it treats, there is not 
a solitary physical error in it — not one assertion or allusion disproved 
by the progress of modern science. None of those mistakes which the 
science of each succeeding age discovered in the books of the preceding ; 
above all, none of those absurdities which modern astronomy indicates 
in such great numbers in the writings of the ancients — in their sacred 
oodes, in their philosophy, and even in the finest pages of the fathers of 
the Church ; not one of these errors is to be found in any cf our eacrea 

3 



26 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

books. Nothing there will ever contradict that which, ifter so many 
ages, the investigations of the learned world have been able to reveal 
to us on the state of our globe, or on that of the heavens. Peruse with 
care our Scriptures, from one end to the other, to find there such spots ; 
and while you apply yourselves to this examination, remember that it 
is a book which speaks of every thing, which describes nature, which 
recites its creation, which tells us of the water, of the atmosphere, of the 
mountains, of the animals, and of the plants. It is a book which teaches 
us the first revolutions of the world, and which also foretells its last ; it 
recounts them in the circumstantial language of history ; it extolls them 
in the sublimest strains of poetry, and it chants them in the charms of 
glowing song. It is a book which is full of oriental rapture, elevation, 
variety, and boldness. It is a book which speaks of the heavenly and 
invisible world, while it also speaks of the earth and things visible. It 
is a book which nearly fifty writers, of every degree of cultivation, of 
every state, of every condition, and living through the course of fifteen - 
hundred years, have concurred to make. It is a book which was written 
in the center of Asia, in the sands of Arabia, and in the deserts of Ju- 
dea ; in the courts of the temple of the Jews, in the music-schools of the 
prophets of Bethel and of Jericho, in the sumptuous palaces of Babylon, 
and on the idolatrous banks of Chebar ; and finally, in the center of the 
western civilization, in the midst of the Jews and of their ignorance, in 
the midst of polytheism and its idols, as also in the bosom of pantheism 
and of its sad philosophy. It is a book whose first writer had been 
forty years a pupil of the magicians of Egypt, in whose opinion the sun, 
the stars, and the elements were endowed with intelligence, reacted on 
the elements, and governed the world by a perpetual alluvium. It is 
a book whose fiFst writer preceded, by more than nine hundred years, 
the most ancient philosophers of ancient Greece and Asia — the Thaleses, 
and the Pythagorases, the Zalucuses, the Xenophon^ and the Confu- 
ciuses. It is a book which carries its narrations even to the hierarchies 
of angels — even to the most distant epoch of the future, and the glorious 
scenes of the last day. Well, search among its 50 authors ; search among 
its 66 books, its 1189 chapters, its 31,173 verses ; search for only one of 
those thousand errors which the ancients and the moderns o*wmitted, 
when they speak of the heavens or of the earth — of their r€v^* ,l ions, of 
the elements; search — but you will find none." — Gausscn. 

" Whence but from heaven could men unskill'd in avi< 
In different nations born — in different parts — 
Weave such agreeing truths ? Or how, or why 
Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie ? 
Unask'd their pains, ungrateful their advice, 
Starving their gains, and martyrdom their price." 



" SPIRITS" AND THE BIBLE. 27 

(4.) Still further, we appeal to the Bible, first upon the sub- 
ject of modern spiritism, because it is still good authority with 
the majority of our readers, despite all the efforts of infidelity to 
convict it of error, disparage its claims, and destroy its influ- 
ence. Thanks be to God ! of this book we may sing, as we 
sing of the New Jerusalem, 

" Immovably founded in grace, 

It stands, as it ever hath stood, 
And brightly its Builder displays, 
And flames with the glory of God." 

Yes — "it stands, as it ever hath stood;" and so it will stand, 
as the island rock stands, having repelled the angry billows 
raised by a thousand tempests, when a thousand generations 
of infidels have lived, and scoffed, and written against it, and 
passed away. 

(5.) Though the Bible is degraded by such an indorsement, 
and it may seem irreverent to cite it, it is a fact that may 
weigh with one reader of a thousand, that the " Spirits of the 
Sixth Circle," as they are called, while on the one hand they 
have denounced the Bible as not being what it professes to be, 
have indorsed it as of equal authority with the " revelations" 
they have recently made to the world through the medium of 
Mr. Ambler. We quote from the " Spiritual Teacher" — writ- 
ten by "Spirits of the Sixth Circle," through "R. P. Ambler, 
Medium :" 

" The spirits would therefore speak in the outset of the real origin of 
the book which is reverenced as the word of God. * * * Far back in 
the depths of humanity's history, there lived individuals who were mor- 
ally and spiritually advanced beyond the medium development of the 
age in which they lived. * * * The spirits have reference to the 
persons mentioned in the writings of the Old and New Testaments ; 
such, for example, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Christ, Paul, and John. Those 
persons were seers and prophets. In their systems dwelt that peculiar 
essence of spiritual life which prepared them for an intercourse with the 
dwellers of the second sphere ; were unconscious of this truth, and knew 
not the source of their inspiration ; they naturally ascribed the impres- 
sions which they received to the direct agency of the Supreme Being, and 



28 SPIPwIT-KArPING UNVEILED. 

really imagined that they wrote and spoke as they were dictated by 
the Deity himself. * * * The seers and prophets, whose names are 
mentioned in the Primitive History, were mediums. * * * It was in 
this manner that the writings of the Bible, which have been properly 
termed the Scriptures, were originated. • ■ * * Therefore will the 
spirits assure the world that the Bible is not the direct and infallible 
word of God. * * * The spirits wtmld claim the authorship of these 
records as they were primarily given to the world." 

Even then, according to the "spirits" themselves, the wri- 
tings of the prophets and apostles are of equal authority with 
their more recent productions, through the medium of Mr. R. 
P. Ambler and others. We hope, therefore, it will be admit- 
ted on all hands as good authority in the present discussion. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Soul distinct from the Body — Nature of Death — Souls do not linger 
about their former Homes, or the Grave of the Body — Depart from 
Earth — Intermediate State — Not to return till the Second Coming of 
Christ and the General Eesurrection. 

We now turn with confidence to the holy Scriptures to as- 
certain what light, if any, they shed upon this otherwise mys- 
terious subject. 

1. In the very opening of this wonderful book, we are met 
with an account of the origin of the material universe. " 
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, " 
Gen. i. 1. Then follow in order the arrangement of light, 
and sea, and land ; the clothing of the continent with vegeta- 
tion ; the peopling of the land, and seas, and air with their 
respective animal inhabitants ; and, finally, the origin of man 
himself. " And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of 
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; 
and man became a living soul," Gen. ii. 7. Here the physi- 
cal form, made of material elements, existed as a perfect organ- 
ism before the "breath of life" or the soul was "breathed into," 



NATURE OF DEATH. 29 

or connected with it. It is obvious, that the soul and body of 
Adam were originally distinct, and actually existed indepen- 
dently of each other ; and it is equally obvious that his natural 
life began with the uniting of his spirit with his body. 

2. The curse which consigned his body to the dust had no 
reference to the "breath of life," or spirit that dwelt in the 
body, as consigning it also to darkness and silence. " In the 
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto 
the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, 
and unto dust shalt thou return," — Gen. iii. 19. Only that 
part of Adam which is composed of " dust," or was " taken 
out of the ground," is consigned to earth again by this decree ; 
and as the " breath of life," or soul, was not of earthly origin, 
it neither dies nor sleeps in the grave in virtue of this maledic- 
tion. 

3. As the Scriptures represent life, in the case of Adam, 
as commencing with the union of his physical and spiritual 
natures, so they uniformly represent death as the separation 
of soul and body — the "giving up of the ghost." 

"Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, 
an old man and full of years ; and was gathered to his people." — 
Gen. xxv. 8. 

" And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his 
people." — Gen. xxxv. 29. 

" And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he 
gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was 
gathered unto his people." — Gen. xlix. 33. 

" But man dieth and wasteth away : yea, man giveth up the ghost, 
and where is he V — Job xiv. 10. 

" And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said : Father, into 
thy hands I commit my spirit : and having said thus, he gave up the 
ghost." — Luke xxiii. 46. 

" While we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. 
* * * "We are confident, I say, and willing, rather to be absent from 
the body, and to be present with the Lord." — 2 Cor. v. 6-8. 

" Knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle." — 2 Pet. i. 14. 

" For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works 
is dead also." — Jas. ii. 2. 

" And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto 

3* 



30 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

the Lord, and said : O Lord my God, I pray, let this child's soul come 
into him again." — 1 Kings xvii. 21. 

" And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah ; and the soul of the child 
came into him again, and he revived.'' — 1 Kings xvii. 22. 

The above passages are sufficient to show that natural death 
is the separation of soul aud body — the "giving up of the 
ghost" — the being "absent from the body" — the "putting 
off" of the material "tabernacle" — the leaving of the body 
"without the spirit." But the same point will be still more 
fully established as we proceed to our next proposition. 

4. The Scriptures teach not only that the soul leaves the 
body at death, but that it leaves this world, and does not tarry 
about this terrestrial ball to be seen or heard by, or to com- 
municate with its inhabitants. Then commences the jour- 
ney to 

" That undiscover'd country, from whose bourn 
No traveler returns." 

" And it came to pass as her soul was in departing (for she died)." — 
Gen. xxxv. 18. 

" Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit 
of the beast that goeth downwar^ o the earth?" — Eccl. iii. 20. 

" Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was : and the spirit 
shall return to God who gave it." — Eccl. xii. 7. 

" spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence and be 
no more." — Psalm xxxix. 13. 

" The days of our years are threescore years and ten ; and if by 
reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor 
and sorrow ; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away," — Psalm xci. 10. 

" To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." — Luke xxiii. 43. 

" For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is 
at hand." — 2 Tim. iv. 6. 

" Having a desire to depart, and be with Christ."-;— Phil. i. 23. 

" For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter 
in among you." — Acts xx. 29. 

Now, if at death we not only give up the ghost, but " go 
upward" — "return to Grod" — "go hence" — "depart" — "fly 
away," &c, it is certain that we shall not remain about our 
world to rip, and tip, and " peep and mutter," as it is assumed 



SPIRITS DO NOT RETURN. 31 

that we shall by the " new philosophy." We leave earth at 
death. 

" In heaven or hell, 

Their disembodied spirits dwell." 

The spirits of the good then " rest from their labors, and 
their works do follow them." 

" The saints who die of Christ possess'd, 
Enter into immediate rest :" — 

" The body which came from the earth, 
Must mingle again with the sod ; 
The soul, which in heaven had birth, 
Returns to the bosom of God." 

It would lead us too far from our main design to inquire 
into the character of the intermediate state, or the difference 
between the states of the righteous and the wicked, between 
death and the resurrection ; and their ultimate and unalterable 
condition after the resurrection of their bodies, and the decision 
of the General Judgment. We wish simply to show (as we 
trust we have done), that the spirits of the dead do not linger 
about our globe after death, but depart to the distant regions 
of eternal retribution. 

5. "But, admitting that the spirits of the dead depart at 
death, as the Bible has always been understood to teach, do 
they not come back at pleasure, to revisit the scenes of their 
former probation, and to mingle once more with the mortal 
living ?" It is no part of our duty to prove that they do not 
come back. Having proved that they go away, if any assert 
that they return, it devolves upon them to prove what they 
assert. As the man who admits future punishment, but denies 
that it is eternal, must himself prove its termination or fail in 
his argument, so he that believes in " departed" spirits, but 
asserts that they have returned, must himself prove such re- 
turn. It is enough for us to trace them away — to " pursue 
them where they fly" — to show that they depart. Still it is 
not difficult in this instance to show that the spirits of the 



32 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

dead having left their bodies and gone away, do not and ca^ 
not return till the general resurrection and final judgment. 

" But now be is dead, wherefore should I fast ? can I bring him back 
again ? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" — 2 Sam. xii. 25. 

" Cease, then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, be- 
fore I go whence / shall not return?' — Job x. 20. 

" When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence / shall 
not return.'' — Job xvi. 22. 

The doctrine of the above passages, that the dead do not 
return to earth is still more clearly taught in the account of 
the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 19-31. In relation to 
this account it should be observed, (1.) That Lazarus was 
borne away from earth at death — " carried by the angel to 
Abraham's bosom," v. 22 ; (2.) That immediately after the 
rich man "died," " in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- 
ment," v. 23. (3.) When the rich man desired Abraham to 
send Lazarus to mitigate his " torment," he was told, first, of 
the justice of his present sufferings, and secondly, of the non- 
intercourse between " hell" and " Abraham's bosom," or 
heaven. " Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed," 
&c, v. 26; thus flatly contradicting the "new philosophy," 
that the spirits of the " higher spheres" may descetfd to and 
assist the spirits of the " lower spheres." (4.) The rich man 
then requests that the spirit of Lazarus might be sent back to 
earth to warn his " five brethren," " lest they also come to this 
place of torment," v. 28. To this request Abraham replied 
that they have revelation enough already, and no such visits 
from the dead were necessary : " They have Moses and the 
prophets ; let them hear them," v. 29. But the rich man 
suggests that an apparition and a message from the spirit world 
would be more effectual for the reformation of his wicked 
brethren, than the inspired Word of God. " If one went unto 
them from the dead, they will repent," v. 30. To this Abra- 
ham answers, that to such as reject divine revelation — the 
Bible — apparitions and messages from the dead would be of 
no avail. " If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither 
will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead," v. 31. 



SAINTS "dwell" with cheist. 33 

From this whole account, therefore, it is clear not only that 
there is no intercourse between the saved and lost in a future 
state, but that neither the spirits of the wicked nor of the 
righteous are permitted to revisit our mortal shores. And if 
the writings of " Moses and the prophets' ' so clearly taught 
man's duty and destiny as to render apparitions and " spirit 
messages" superfluous and inadmissible ; much more, now that 
we have Moses and the prophets, and the Gospels, and the 
Epistles, and the Apocalypse, would such apparitions and 
messages be inadmissible and impossible. The whole narrative 
is directly and flatly against the new doctrine of spirit in- 
tercourse. 

6. The Scriptures always represent the righteous dead, at 
least, as dwelling with Christ, away from earth, and in heaven. 
Accordingly, heaven is a " house" — a " city" — a " country," 
&c, all of which figures indicate a locality. Hence, the lan- 
guage of Christ — " What and if ye shall see the Son of Man 
ascend where he was before," John vii. 62. "I leave the 
world and go to the Father," John xvi. 28. " If any man serve 
me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there shall also my 
servant be," John xii. 26. " I go to prepare a place for you, 
that where I am there ye may be also," John xiv. 2, 3. 
" Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him 
day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne 
shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more," &c, 
Rev. vii. 15. 

" No oppressive heat they feel, 
From the sun's directer ray ; 
In a milder clime they dwell, 
Region of eternal day." 

And if the righteous dwell in their Father's " house" — the 
"New Jerusalem" — the "better country" — "where Christ is," 
and serve God, " day and night," in his heavenly temple, they 
are not hovering about our earth, rapping and moving tables, 
either to amuse or astonish poor credulous mortals at a dol- 
lar a head. Neither is it likely that the wicked (the "low 
spirits" of the new philosophy) are more highly privileged in 



34 SPIRIT-EAPPING UNVEILED. 

this respect than their " high sphere" brethren. Either, there- 
fore, we must reject the new doctrine of spirit intercourse, or 
reject the obvious teachings of the holy Scriptures. 

7. The only general return of spirits mentioned in the Bible 
is that of the spirits of the saints, at the second coming of 
Christ and the general resurrection. " And the Lord my God 
shall come, and all his saints with him," Zech. xiv. 5. " At 
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints/' 
1 Thess. iii. 13. "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand 
of his saints,'' Jude v. 14. 

Thus the Scriptures teach most distinctly and unequivocally, 
as a general doctrine, that the soul and body are distinct es- 
sences ; that death is the separation of the soul from the body; 
that at death the soul departs from earth ; that it dwells away 
from earth during the intermediate state, or period ; and that 
it does not, and can not, except as a miracle, return to earth 
till the second coming of Chiist, and the resurrection of the 
dead. 

To this general law, however, there have been a few ex- 
ceptions ; and to these exceptions, or supposed returns of de- 
parted spirits, we shall now direct our attention. 

8. The apparition of immortals to Abraham and Lot 
(Gen. 18th and 19th chapters) will be reserved for considera- 
tion in the next chapter, when we come to speak of " angels 
and ministering spirits ;" but the cases of Samuel, and Moses, 
and Elias require consideration in the present chapter ; for we 
concede that the latter two were really Moses and Elias ; and 
that if there was actually a spirit or body present in the former 
case, they were those of Samuel. In the analysis of the narra- 
tive of this case, however, as we find it recorded in the twenty- 
eighth chapter of the First Book of Samuel, the following points 
should be observed: (1.) Samuel was dead and buried at 
Ramah, some distance from Endor, ver. 3. (2.) God had for- 
saken Saul, and " answered him not, neither by dreams, nor 
by Urim, nor by prophets/' ver. 6. (3.) When the woman 
saw the " gods," as she called them, that preceded the appari- 
tion of Samuel, and afterwards the form of " an old man covered 



APPARITION OF SAMUEL. 35 

with a mantle," she was terribly frightened, and shrieked out 
for fear, or "cried with a loud voice," ver. 12. This shows 
that the apparition was unexpected to the woman, and not the 
usual result of her incantations. Upon this point, Dr. Clarke 
observes : 

"The woman certainly meant no more than making her familiar per- 
sonify whomsoever the querist should wish. In the evocation of spirits 
this is all that, according to the professed rules of their art, such persons 
pretend to ; for over human souls in paradise, or in the infernal regions, 
they have no power. If we allow that there is such an art founded on 
true principles, all it can pretend to is to bring up the familiar, cause him. 
when necessary to assume the form and character of some particular 
person, and to give such notices relative to futurity as he is able to col- 
lect. And this, even in the cases to which authenticity is generally al- 
lowed, is often scanty, vague, and uncertain ; for fallen spirits do not 
abound in knowledge : this is an attribute of God, and rays of this per- 
fection are imparted to pure and holy intelligences ; and even Satan 
himself, as may be seen from most of his temptations, is far from excel- 
ling in knowledge." 

(4.) Whatever might have been the real character of the 
apparition, he "said" what he had to communicate in an audi- 
ble manner, and in a language well understood. No " circle" 
was formed ; no " rapping" out words and sentences, letter by 
letter; no writing with the hand of the "medium;" nor was 
any " electrical apparatus" seen, as in the pretended apparition 
of Benjamin Franklin, in the room of Mr. Fowler. (5.) The 
message communicated was a straightforward and important 
prediction in regard to the fate of Saul, every word of which 
was literally fulfilled, in perfect contrast with the silly mes- 
sages and seldom fulfilled predictions or guesses of our modern 
necromancers. 

Here, then, admitting all that can be asked — that the spirit 
of Samuel was actually there — we have one solitary instance of 
the return and appearance of a human spirit, in a Scriptural 
history extending over more than forty centuries, and that case 
recorded as a distinguished miracle. And, still further, differ- 
ing so essentially from the mode in which spirits are said to 
communicate in our own times, as to stamp the pretensions of 



36 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

the present race of necromancers as savoring more of trickery 
and deception than of honest, outspoken communications from 
the spirits of the dead. 

9. The case of the appearance of Moses and Elias on Mount 
Tabor, at the transfiguration of Christ, is clearly an instance of 
the reappearing of the departed. " There appeared unto them 
Moses and Elias talking with him, ,, Matt. xvii. 3. But in re- 
gard to this case also, there are several particulars worthy of 
special note. 

(1.) One of the two, at least, was not a mere spirit, but a 
glorified human being, soul and body together, such as the 
righteous shall be after the " change" at the last trump, or the 
general resurrection. Elijah was translated to heaven, soul 
and body, without seeing death (2 Kings ii.) : and it is not 
likely that his soul left the body in heaven, i. e., that he 
died there, and that his spirit only appeared on the mount. 
This, therefore, was not an instance of the return of a disem- 
bodied spirit. (2.) It is far from being certain that Moses 
was in this respect different from Elias. He had died on 
Mount Nebo some fifteen centuries before, and God sad buried 
his body somewhere "in a valley in the land of Moab, over 
against Beth-peor," but where no man ever knew. (See 
Deut. xxxiv. 1-6.) But from a seemingly incidental allusion 
to Moses in the Epistle of Jude, it seems that this was not the 
last of his body, when buried by the hand of God. " Yet 
Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he 
disputed about the body of Moses," &c, ver. 9. What the 
nature of this " dispute" was, between the good and evil an- 
gels about the body of Moses, is not known. It has been 
supposed, however, that God buried and concealed his body, 
that it might not become an object of idolatrous worship, as 
the serpent lifted up in the wilderness afterward became 
(2 Kings xviii. 4), and that Satan, on the other hand, greatly 
desired to discover his body to the Jews, that it might become 
a stumbling-block and a snare to Israel. And hence the 
" dispute" between Michael the archangel and Satan " about 
the body of Moses." If this explanation is correct (and to 



MOSES AND ELIAS. 37 

say the least, it is highly probable), it affords much ground for 
the belief that God had settled the " dispute" by raising the 
body of Moses from the dead, and that he appeared on the 
mount of transfiguration precisely as Elias appeared. As the 
saints are to appear with Christ hereafter "in glory," and the 
bodies of the just are to be " raised in glory," so of Moses and 
Elias it is said " they appeared in glory," which, we think, im- 
plies the full redemption of both soul and body. The only 
Scriptural objection to this view of the subject is the general 
statement that Christ should be " the first that should rise 
from the dead ;" a statement that might no more be intended 
to apply to the case of Moses — whose body God took under 
his own special charge, and which may never have seen cor- 
ruption — than to the cases of Enoch and Elijah, whose bodies 
God translated to heaven. (3.) These two immortals "talked" 
face to face with Christ. No table nor "circle," no "rapping" 
nor writing ; but, as in the case of Samuel, all is open and in- 
telligible. (4.) The subject of their communications was of the 
most exalted character — the great atonement for sin — for they 
" spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusa- 
lem." Compare such a theme with the subjects of our mod- 
ern "spirit messages," and how do they appear? (5.) The 
whole account shows that the evangelists regarded the trans- 
figuration and the appearance of Moses and Elias not as an 
ordinary occurrence, but as an unusual and wonderful event — 
a stupendous miracle. And who that considers the narrative, 
the personages, the celestial brightness, and the voice from 
heaven, can regard it in any other light? This case then, 
like that of Samuel, so far from favoring the new doctrine of 
general intercourse between the two worlds, by rapping and 
writing, goes to rebuke it as a most insipid and bungling at- 
tempt at imitation, bordering upon sacrilege. 

10. One more case of the apparition of a spirit remains to 
be considered — that of the spirit seen by the Revelator (xix. 10), 
who said, " I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren," &c. 
But where was this spirit seen? John, it is true, was "in the 
isle that is called Patmos ;" but the vision or "revelation" 

4 



38 



SPIRIT-RxVPPING UNVEILED. 



which he had was not of Patmos, nor of earth. He had seen 
"a door opened in heaven," and heard a voice, saying, " Come 
up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter," 
(iv. 1), and the scene which opened before him was not in our 
dark world, but in the far-off and brighter regions of eternal 
day. There, he saw the elders and the white-robed company; 
there, he heard the harpers and the songs of the rejoicing mul- 
titude, " like the sound of many waters ;" and there, he saw the 
spirit of a " fellow-servant," so glorious in the image of Christ, 
so much as he had seen the Redeemer at his transfiguration, 
as to betray him into the error of offering worship to him as 
divine. Indeed, not only this passage, but the whole Apoca- 
lypse, is a decided refutation of the notion that the dead linger 
about our world. The happy company who had washed their 
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, dwell 
not on earth, but in "heaven;" not around our globe, but 
"round about the throne." 

The most, then, that can possibly be made of these several 
apparitions mentioned in the Scriptures is, that from first to 
last two spirits of the departed — -Samuel and Moses — have re- 
turned to earth ; and that one entire man, soul and body, has 
also returned — three cases in over fifteen centuries ! Does this 
seem to favor the doctrine of great familiarity between the 
living and the dead ? Do not these very exceptions confirm 
the doctrine of general non-intercourse ? 

All these cases are evidently set forth as miracles ; and they 
no more prove that departed spirits generally have access 
to the living of earth, than the resurrection of Lazarus, after 
four days, proves that it is a law of nature that all men shall 
come to life after they have been dead four days. The very 
idea of a miracle requires that the general law should be vio- 
lated or departed from ; so that the miraculous appearance of 
one or two of the spirits of the dead, would only go to estab- 
lish it as a general law. that the dead can not return to earth. 



MINISTERING SPIRITS. 39 



CHAPTER V. 

Ministering Spirits— Who are the " Ministering Spirits" of the Bible— An* 
gels not the spirits of men— Good and evil angels. 

Having shown, we trust, to the satisfaction of every candid 
reader, that at death the spirit leaves this world not to return 
except by special interposition of God till the second coming 
of Christ, let us now consider the question, Who, then, are the 
" Ministering Spirits" of the Bible ? 

Upon this subject we remark, that we fully recognize the 
doctrine of ministering spirits as a doctrine of the Holy Scrip- 
tures. By " ministering spirits" we mean pure spirits who min- 
ister to or serve the people of God, and help them on in the 
w r ay to heaven. This belief is founded not only upon the vir- 
tual affirmation, Heb. i. 14, "Are they not all ministering spir- 
its, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salva- 
tion," but upon numerous instances on record in which angels 
have assisted and defended the people of God. But the ques- 
tion is, tvho or what are these angels ? Are they the spirits of 
our friends, whose bodies we have buried, or are they a dis- 
tinct and higher order of beings ? A good poet but poor theo- 
logian has said, 

"When the partition walls decay, 
Men emerge angels from their clay ;*' 

and another, a poetess of brilliant fancy but doubtful logic and 
theology, has said, 

" It is a beautiful belief, 
That ever round our head 
Are hovering, on viewless wings, 
The spirits of the dead 1" 

But however beautiful this belief may be as a poetic image, it 
lacks one essential element of beauty, and that is truth. Spir- 
its may hover around the pathway of the righteous, but they 



40 SPIIHT-RAPriNG UNVEILED. 

are not " the spirits of the dead." On the contrary, we shall 
beg leave to dissent both from the poets and the necromancers 
upon this point, and shall proceed to show that the "minister- 
ing spirits," or " angels," of the Bible, are not the spirits of 
the dead, as is assumed by the " new philosophy," but a dis- 
tinct and higher order of intelligences. 

1. If angels are the spirits of the dead, then there could 
have been no angels until some one had died. But we have 
abundant proof that angels, both good and evil, existed and 
manifested themselves before any human spirit had left the 
body. Cherubim, a high order of angels, were placed at the 
east of the garden of Eden, to keep the way of the tree of life, 
before the death of Abel (Gen. iii. 24) ; and the Almighty 
speaks of the joy of angels at the creation of our globe, even 
before man was created. " Where wast thou when I laid the 
foundations of the earth ? * * • When the morning stars 
sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy ?" Job 
xxxviii. 4, 7. 

The temptation of our first parents by Satan, before the 
death of Abel, the first who died, is proof in point that evil 
angels existed before the first human soul had left the body; 
and wherever the Scriptures refer to the fall of angels, and 
their becoming devils, the allusion is evidently to a probationary 
period enjoyed by them anterior to the creation of man. "For 
if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down 
to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be re- 
served unto judgment," 2 Peter ii. 4. " And the angels which 
kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath 
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judg- 
ment of the great day," Jude 6. To this fall of the devil 
and his angels our Saviour alludes, John viii. 44, where he 
says, " He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not 
in the truth ;" and also Luke x. 18, where he says, "I beheld 
Satan as lightning fall from heaven.' ' 

As we have nothing in human history answering in any wise 
to these allusions, and as they are evidently designed to ac- 
count for the existence of devils, which we find in being before 



ANGELS NOT HUMAN SPIRITS. 41 

any human being had died, it is certain that the " serpent" 
that tempted Eve could not have been a disembodied human 
spirit, but was, as the Scriptures teach, " That old serpent the 
Devil and Satan," who kept not his first estate, fell like light- 
ning from heaven, and now goeth about with his angels seek- 
ing whom he may devour. And if both good and evil angels 
existed before any human being had died, it is clear that nei- 
ther good nor evil angels can be the spirits of the dead. This 
fact of itself is enough to overthrow the Swedenborgian notion, 
now taken up by the necromancers, that all angels are disem- 
bodied human souls. 

2. A clear distinction is kept up throughout the Bible be- 
tween the angels, both good and evil, and the spirits of the 
dead. The evil angels are the " devils" that tempt and with- 
stand the righteous. Such were often cast out by Christ and 
his apostles, when they had taken possession of the bodies of 
men and women. But will our necromancers admit that these 
" devils" were human spirits ? So of the holy angels ; the 
innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men 
made perfect (Heb. xii. 22), are distinct orders of beings ; and 
the "nature of angels," and " the iseed [or nature] of Abra- 
ham" (Heb. ii. 16), are entirely distinct natures. And in the 
visions of the Revelator the angels and the spirits of the re- 
deemed are always distinct, except in one solitary instance 
(Rev. xix. 10), in which St. John seems to have mistaken one 
of the prophets for the Son of man. 

3. In none of the instances in which human spirits have re- 
turned to earth, have they appeared as ministering spirits, 
The angels ministered to Lot, and Elijah, and Hezekiah, and 
Daniel, and Christ, and Peter, and Paul, and many others, and 
they are represented as having charge of and camping about 
the people of God ; but when Samuel, and Moses, and Elias 
appeared, we hear nothing of their labors as " ministering spir- 
its ;" neither is it possible to find throughout the Bible the 
least intimation that the angels or ministering spirits of the 
Scriptures are the souls of the departed dead. Whoever, 
therefore, assumes this point to help out the new theory of 

4* 



42 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

"spiritual in.ercourse," is not only wise above what is written, 
but against what is written ; and if he persist in his devotion 
to " the new philosophy," he has no alternative left but to re- 
ject the inspired teachings of the Holy Scriptures, and become, 
sooner or later, an avowed Deist. But if, on the other hand, 
he is resolved to abide by the teachings of the Bible, whatever 
may become of human dreams and theories, he will at once 
abandon the notion of human angels, and reject the doctrine of 
intercourse with the dead. That holy angels come and go, as 
" ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall 
be heirs of salvation," is clearly revealed; but these angels are 
not human souls ; and so far from favoring modern necromancy, 
the very fact that holy angels are appointed of God to guard, 
and in various ways minister to his saints, proves that human 
souls, having left the body and departed from earth, are not 
required or allowed to return and minister to the living. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Witches and Wizards of the Bible— Origin of Witchcraft — Witches and 
Wizards — Necromancers and Soothsayers — Astrologers and Magicians- 
Modern Fortune-tellers — How classified in the Scriptures — Denounced 
by Jehovah — Simon Magus — Elymas — Ghost-books burned — " Medium" 
at Philippi. 

Notwithstanding the general hostility of the "spirits" and 
the spirit-rappers to the Bible, they are by no means slow to 
avail themselves of any thing they can find in the Scriptures 
that can be pressed into the service of their ghostly cause. 
Hence we frequently hear the questions : " Does not the Bible 
often speak of witches, and necromancers, and familiar spirits? 
and does not the mention of these things in the Scriptures 
show that in old times invisible beings communicated with 
mortals?" 

It is not denied that holy angels and devils sometimes mani- 



ORIGIN OF DIVINATION. 43 

fested themselves to men, and that the one sometimes ministers 
to the righteous, while the other seeks to destroy. But the 
desio*n of these questions is to suggest that the witches, necro- 
mancers, &c., among the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Canaan- 
ites, were not mere pretenders or impostors, but that they really 
had intercourse with departed spirits. Let us inquire, then, 
for a moment, into the origin and character of their preten- 
sions. 

1. The knowledge of a future state was early revealed to 
man; and the frequent apparitions of angels during the patri- 
archal and Mosaic ages, tended to support the belief in a spir- 
itual and immortal life. And wherever the doctrine of the 
immmortality of the soul prevailed, associated as it always 
was with the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, 
there was not only a measure of solicitude about the future, 
but a conviction that, as the dead had experienced what the 
living had not, so they hieiv what the living did not. It was 
hence concluded that, if the living could only commune with 
the dead, they would at once learn their own future history, 
and all the mysteries and secrets of the unseen world. Add 
to this a natural desire in every unrenewed heart to pry into 
the future, and learn those "hidden things that belong to God," 
and we have the original element that g-ave birth to witchcraft 
and every other system of divination. 

The manifested anxiety to know the future of the present 
life, was doubtless the main incentive to the early diviners to 
pretend to divine, or, as we say in modern times, to "tell for- 
tunes;" and finding that such professions not only gave them 
notoriety, but could also be turned to their pecuniary ad- 
vantage, they yielded to the temptation and set up as di- 
viners. 

2. Of these diviners, or fortune-tellers, there were several 
classes,' generally distinguished by the manner in which they 
professed to obtain their superhuman information. 

(1.) Witches and wizards were those who professed to divine 
by the aid of the devil. These claimed to be in league with 
the prince of darkness, and to have each a " familiar spirit," ox 



44 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

devil, who revealed to tlicm the secrets which they revealed to 
others. 

(2.) The necromancers were those who professed to divine 
by intercourse with the dead. The term necromancy, from 
nehros, the dead, and manteia, to divine, signifies to divine by 
the dead ; and as our modern spirit-rappers have professedly 
repudiated the devil, and claim to divine only by the dead, 
their appropriate name is necromancers* 

(3.) The soothsayers pretended to divine by the clouds, and 
by the flight and chatter of birds. Of this class was Balaam, 
the son of Beor, whom Balak hired to curse Israel, and who 
was afterwards slain by the Israelites. See Joshua xiii. 22. 

(4.) Astrologers professed to divine by the aspects of the 
planets, stars, &c, like several impostors that are now con- 
stantly advertising themselves, and getting their living by thus 
imposing upon and defrauding the credulous and supersti- 
tious. 

(5.) The magicians were those who performed seeming 
miracles by legerdemain, or sleight of hand. Such were 
Jannes and Jambres, who withstood Moses ; and such are 
Messrs. Anderson, Blitz, and others of our own times, except 
that the latter gentlemen frankly declare that their apparent 
miracles are only a deception. 

(6.) Besides the above there were sorcerers, conjurors, en- 
chanters, <fec, the precise character of whoso pretensions it is 
not easy at this remote period to ascertain. And from these 
we come down to our modern gipsies, and "fortune-tellers" 
of every class, whether they "divine" by a pack of cards; by 
looking into a black stone, or into a hat; by examining the 
wrinkles in your hand, or the settlings of your tea-cup. They 
are all of the same general family, and all equally reliable. 

* Invocations of the dead were practised among the Greeks in the 
time of Homer, and afterwards among the Romans ; but we have the 
most satisfactory proof that in all cases they were a work of science 
and art, like our phantasmagoria or dissolving views, and had nothing 
preternatural about them. See Thompson's Philosophy of Magic, vol. 
1, p. 261, and onward. * 



ASTROLOGERS THEIR CHARACTER. 45 

3. Astrology, magic, and other kindred arts, were practiced 
and taught in Egypt — the land in which the Israelites sojourned 
for four hundred and thirty years previously to the Exodus, and 
in which Moses was " learned in all the wisdom of the Egyp- 
tians" — and also among the Canaanites and Babylonians. When 
Moses wrought miracles in Egypt, Pharaoh called for his magi- 
cians ; and when Nebuchadnezzar had a troublesome dream, he 
also called for his " magicians, and astrologers, and sorcerers," 
to interpret it to him. But all this merely proves that such 
arts were taught, and such pretenders were common, without 
in the least favoring the idea that they were any thing more 
than impostors and deceivers."* And when the Almighty saw 
fit to release the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, that 
they should thenceforward be his own peculiar people, he not 
only prohibited and denounced "divination," but exacted the 
most stringent laws for the punishment of such offenders. 

4. The general character of the diviners mentioned in the 
Scriptures, and the light in which they were regarded by the 
Almighty, may be inferred from the following : 

(1.) There is not a word in all the Bible in favor of witch- 
craft, necromancy, or divination of any kind, or that goes to 
show that they were not in all cases a deception. 

(2.) The Scriptures uniformly classify witchcraft, sorcery, 
and necromancy, with the worst of abominations. In Rev. 
xxi. 8, "sorcerers" are classed with the "abominable, and 
murderers, and whoremongers, and idolaters, and liars," who 
are to " have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and 
brimstone, which is the second death." The apostle Paul 
classifies "witchcraft" with "fornication," and "murder," and 
other "works of the flesh," Gal. v. 20, and then adds, "of the 
which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, 



* It is well known that several of the discoveries of modern time3 
both in the arts and sciences, were known to the ancients, but were 
lost for want of the art of printing, and by being kept in their temples 
by the priests, as the means of deceiving their disciples, and keeping 
the multitudes in awe. 



4:6 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom 
of God." The Revelator, also, enumerates "sorcerers" with 
"dogs, and whoremongers, and murderers," who are forever 
excluded from the New Jerusalem. 

(3.) So offensive to God were these blasphemous pretensions, 
that under the Jewish theocracy they were visited with the 
same punishment as murder, and that too by the special com- 
mand of the Almighty. " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to 
live," Ex. xxii. 18. Again: "When thou art come into the 
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn 
to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not 
be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daugh- 
ter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an ob- 
server of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a 
consulter with familiar spirits, or a w r rzard, or a necromancer. 
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord ; 
and because of these abominations the Lord thy God hath 
driven them out from before thee, f * * For these na- 
tions, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of 
times, and unto diviners ; but as for thee, the Lord thy God 
hath not suffered thee to do so," Deut. xviii. 10-14. Of Ma- 
nasseh, king of Judah, it is said, " He observed times, and used 
enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with familiar 
spirits, and with wizards ; he wrought much evil in the sight 
of the Lord to provoke him to anger. He made Judah and 
the inhabitants of Jerusalem to sin, and to do worse than the 
heathen," 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6, 9. 

(4.) In the progress of Christianity during the apostolic age, 
as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we have several in- 
stances in which the apostles came in contact with these divin- 
ers. Philip found one Simon, at Samaria, " which beforetime 
in the same city used sorceries, and bewitched the people of 
Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one." (How 
exactly like the leading Necromancers of our time, Davis, Am- 
bler, and others !) This " Simon" desired to buy the power to 
communicate the gift of the Holy Ghost, doubtless for pur- 
poses of gain, and was told by the apostles that he had nei- 



SORCERERS AND THEIR BOOKS. 47 

ther part nor lot with them — that his heart was not right in 
the sight of God, and that he was in the gall of bitterness, and 
in the bond of iniquity, Acts ix. 9-23. 

St. Paul found another, one Ely mas, a sorcerer, at Paphos 
(Acts xiii. 6-11), who withstood the apostles, and to whom 
Paul said, " full of all subtil ty, and all mischief, thou child 
of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not 
cease to prevent the right ways of the Lord?" And yet our 
modern ghostmongers would have us believe that sorcerers and 
necromancers are the only real Christians in the land ! 

The effect of a revival of pure religion at Ephesus was, that 
" many confessed and showed their deeds. Many of them, 
also, which used curious arts [the sorcerers and necromancers 
of Ephesus] brought their books together, and burned them 
before all men ; and they counted the price of them, and found 
it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word 
of the Lord and prevailed," Acts xix. 18-20. And as the 
" word of the Lord" and pure religion prevailed, deception and 
intrigues were exposed and confessed, and the " books" from 
which they learned these " curious arts," were committed to 
the llames. Who can read this account without thinking of 
the numerous and high-priced ghost-books now in circulation, 
and of the uniform hostility of all such works to the religion of 
Jesus Christ ? 

In the sixteenth chapter of Acts we have an account of the 
imprisonment of Paul and Silas at Philippi : "And it came to 
pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a 
spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much 
gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and 
cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high 
God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this she 
did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to 
the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to 
come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And 
when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, 
they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market- 
place unto the rulers, and brought them to the magistrates, 



48 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our 
city," &c. This ancient " medium,'' it will be observed, was 
not only a " damsel" like most of our rapping mediums, but 
she also had " masters," or keepers, who made " much gain by 
her soothsaying," and were specially indignant " when the 
hope of their gain was gone." And have we not a perfect 
parallel to this in the sensitiveness of certain gentlemen of our 
own time, who are more or less interested in the " gains" re- 
ceived by certain mediums ? And have we not here the rea- 
son why it is so difficult for them to keep their seats in public 
assemblies, while the delusion is being exposed ? To be sure 
they never refer to the pecuniary interest they have in keeping 
up the deception, but simply exclaim, " These men, being 
Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city ;" but so long as the 
sale of their books and papers, in which they have invested 
money, is dependent upon the perpetuity of the delusion, so 
long they must be expected to resist exposure to the utmost of 
their power.* 

These passages are sufficient to show that witches, necro- 
mancers, sorcerers, and soothsayers, are mentioned in the Scrip- 
tures only to be denounced ; and if such mention of impostors 
and deceivers amounts to an indorsement of their pretensions, 
then a law prohibiting the sale of galvanized watches at mock 
auctions would prove that such auctioneers are honest men, 
and that every yellow watch they sell is pure gold. We have 
no evidence that even those possessed with devils, like the 
" medium" mentioned above, had any knowledge of the future 
by that means, or of the invisible state. 

So far, then, as the Bible is concerned, it is scarcely possible 
that it could have borne a more decisive and terrible testimony 
against necromancy and all similar pretensions than it has done. 

* So extremely sensitive «re our self-styled " spiritualists," in regard 
to the exposure of their tricks, that in almost every instance, where the 
writer has lectured upon the subject, he has been interrupted more or 
less during his lectures by medium-keepers, or ghost-book publishers, 
or both together ; and in one instance a lady " medium" lavished hei 
" spirit - u - ality" quite profusely upon the devoted head of the lecturer 



APPARITIONS OF THE BIBLE. 40 

And even on the supposition that the ancient diviners really 
held intercourse with devils and familiar spirits, it is enough 
for any Christian to know that "all that do these things 

ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD." 



CHAPTER YU. 

Apparitions of the Bible — Modern ghosts — Who see them — Why so sel- 
dom seen — When and where — Ghosts caught — Diiferent kinds — General 
conclusion respecting. 

Having shown in the preceding chapters that the spirits of 
the dead depart at death, not to return till the general resur- 
rection — that the " ministering spirits" of the Bible are holy 
angels, and not disembodied human spirits, and that necro- 
mancers and other similar characters are mentioned in the 
Bible only to be denounced, I shall now devote a few pages to 
the question, " If the spirits of the dead do not have access to 
oar loorld, how shall we account for the various apparitions or 
ghosts that have been seen in all ages of the tuorld ?" 

1. In regard to the apparitions mentioned in the Scriptures, 
it is sufficient to restate what has already been shown, that 
most of them were apparitions of holy angels, who minister to 
those who shall be heirs of salvation. And the few instances 
in which human spirits reappeared after death are recorded as 
miracles, and go to show that non-intercourse with earth is the 
general law governing all human spirits after death. While, 
therefore, we admit that apparitions have in a few cases occur- 
red, as also resurrections from the dead, we claim that they 
no more establish general intercourse with earth as the law 
governing departed souls, than the resurrection of Christ and 
Lazarus proves that the resurrection of all men soon after 
death, is a law of nature. We ask no better evidence, there- 
fore, of the general non-intercourse of departed spirits with our 

5 



50 SPIRIT-RAFIING UNVEILED. 

world, than the few miraculous apparitions of the spirits of the 
dead recorded in the Bible. 

2. The alleged apparitions of modern times rest upon a dif- 
ferent basis. The time was when a majority, perhaps, even in 
this country, believed more or less in ghosts, and "spooks," 
and "goblins" of various kinds; but happily that time has 
long since passed by ; and but for the recent efforts to revive 
the ghostology and ghost stories of the past, they must soon 
have found a grave together in a common oblivion. 

During the last forty years, observation and experience have 
taught several lessons in regard to apparitions and ghost-see- 
ing, that ought not to be overlooked in the discussion of this 
subject. 

(1.) It has been observed that the number of ghosts seen 
in any given community, depends altogether upon the charac- 
ter and circumstances of that community. If they are ignorant 
and superstitious, have been early taught to believe in ghosts, 
and are terribly afraid of them, they will be very likely to see 
them. Hence it is that some people are always seeing 
"spooks," while others, equally sharp-sighted, never see any. 
And hence it is that we now so seldom hear of an " appari- 
tion," when fifty years ago every tenth person you met had 
seen one or more ghosts during his life. Until recently ghosts 
and ghost stories had become quite obsolete. And why ? 
Had the ghosts really withdrawn from our mortal shores ? or 
were the people less favored with "second sight?" Or have 
the Pulpit, the Press, and the Schools of our country banished 
the ghosts from the imaginations of the people ? 

That the latter is the true cause of the scarcity of appari- 
tions for the last twenty years, is evident from the fact that, in 
many rural districts in Europe, where not one of ten can write 
his name, ghosts are far more plenty now than they ever were 
in this country. This shows an intimate connection between 
common schools and ghost-seeing. 

(2.) It has been observed, in regard to ghosts, that they are 
generally seen, not only by those who believe in and fear them, 
but just about when and where they expect to see them. And 



DIFFERENT KINDS OF GHCSTS. 51 

what is very strange, though regarded as ethereal and shadowy 
beino-s, and of course difficult to be seen under the most favor- 
able circumstances, they always select the night-time for their 
apparitions, when human vision is necessarily most imperfect. 
The first instance is yet to be recorded in which a modern ghost 
has been seen in the day-time ; and they even fly before a lamp 
or taper of any kind, as if their very breath was darkness. 

(3.) When ghosts are overtaken and caught (as they fre- 
quently have been), they are always found to possess physical 
qualities, like other mundane substances. A roguish student, 
with a sheet wrapped around him ; a goat, carried into the col- 
lege belfry and tied to the bell-clapper ; a bush or stump, near 
a grave-yard, or in some deep and dark glen; a loose shingle, 
flapping upon the roof; the limb of an old tree, chafing against 
the clapboards, or a screech-owl in the garret. Any of these 
will answer for a ghost, provided they have an " impressible" 
subject to work upon. Indeed, many of us have been ghosts 
ourselves to others ; some purposely, and others without know- 
ing it at the time; and in several instances human life has been 
sacrificed, when the persons committing the homicide supposed 
they were firing at ghosts. 

From all these circumstances, it is a legitimate conclusion 
that all modern ghosts are mere creatures of the imagination, 
like the "griffs" and "elfs" of other countries ; or, at least, that 
they are nothing but mundane objects, transformed into " ap- 
paritions" by superstitious fears. From the clear and unequiv- 
ocal testimony of the Scriptures, in regard to the circumstances 
of human souls during the intermediate state ; as well as from 
the known influence of fear and superstition in creating ghosts, 
or in transforming earthly objects into them, and the influences 
of education and religion in banishing them from the land ; it 
is doubtful whether the first immortal human being has mani- 
fested himself to man in any way, either visibly or audibly, 
since the apocalyptic vision upon the isle of Patmos. If anv 
think they have, they must either admit all the ghost-stories U 
be true, and call many things spirits that we know to be ma- 
terial and earthly, or else winnow out the genuine from the 



52 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

spurious, as the necromancers are now trying to do with their 
"spirit messages. " 

We have no disposition to treat this subject irreverently, or 
to trifle with the honest convictions of the reader, should he 
dissent from the views here presented ; but with the above in- 
disputable facts before us, corroborative of the teachings of the 
Sacred Scriptures, are we not fully borne out in saying that the 
notion that human souls " appear to" mortals on earth has no 
support whatever from observation or experience ; and as it is 
not a doctrine of revelation, but directly opposed to the obvious 
teaching of the Bible in regard to the dead, it should be re- 
jected, as having no foundation in fact ? It is vain, therefore, to 
appeal to the obsolete superstitions of the people, to support 
the pretensions of modern necromancy. . 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Recent "Spirit Communications" — Various Modes of Communication- 
Rapping Process — Card Process — Writing Media — Hand used by a Spirit 
— Spiritual Atmosphere Process — Spirit Occupation Process — Spiritual 
Impression Process — Spirit Phonography — Independent Spirit Writing 
— Speaking Media — A Spirit Lecture — Several Spirits in one Body — 
Trance — Pointing Media — Dancing Media. 

Having now considered the several preliminary questions 
that stand connected with the subject of modern necromancy — 
what may be regarded as the a priori argument — and having 
seen that, from all that we can learn of the condition of the 
dead, there is not the least probability that they do or can 
communicate with the living of earth ; we shall in the present 
chapter take up the subject of mediumship, and the various 
methods by which it is said the " spirits" communicate with 
our world. 

A cardinal principle in the "new philosophy" is, that a small 
portion of our race have such an amount of " electricity" in 
their composition that the "spirits" can us? them as "me- 



RAPPING MEDIA. 53 

diums;" while others, and by far the largvi portion, are desti- 
tute of this electricity, and are consequently non-conductors of 
spirit-messages. Of the philosophy of this theory we shall 
speak in a subsequent chapter, as we wish to confine our 
present inquiries to the various kinds of media, and the various 
methods employed by the "spirits" in communicating with our 
world. 

RAPPING MEDIA. 

The " rapping process" is in some respects the most import- 
ant of all. It was by mere " raps," heard in " the Fox family," 
that this "new era" of ghosts was introduced. But it was not 
long before the spirits "called for the alphabet." By what 
rap or raps they signified "alphabet" to the young misses, we 
know not. Indeed, it would be very difficult for a dumb man, 
or one who could not speak a word of English, to make known 
by sounds a wish to have the alphabet called over. His only 
mode would be to get a spelling-book, and point to the letters. 
But these very tractable " Foxes" could tell at once, by mere 
raps, that the spirits wanted the alphabet called over. And the 
same intuition enabled them to understand that, with the spirits, 
one rap meant no, and three raps yes.* 

To arrange for the rappings, the following conditions must 
be observed : 

1. There should be twelve persons in the circle: 

"As there are twelve elements and attributes in every human soul, 
abstractly considered, so should there be twelve persons constituting 
a circle ; the twelve consisting of six males and six females." — Spirit 
of J. R. Fulmcr— Telegraph, JS r o. 26. 

2. One of the circle, at least, must be a " medium." 

"In order to have spiritual manifestations, it is necessary that a 
medium be present." — Phil. Hist, p. 11. 

"Though the presence of a medium is necessary for the production 



* When the spirits went to Philadelphia, "arrangement was made 
with them that one rap should signify no, three yes, and two a medium 
between yes and no." — History of Recent Development, &c, in Philadel- 
phia, by "a member of the first circle" p. 22. 

5* 



^ SPIRIT-RAPPING UN VEILED. 

of the sounds, lie or she cannot control them. Sounds cannot always 
be produced in. the presence of a medium; there are other conditions 
required. But all the other conditions may be as favorable as possible, 
yet the sounds cannot be produced without a medium." — Ibid., 18. 

3. We are told that " positive and negative persons must be 
placed alternately in arranging the circle."* 

"There is a peculiar electrical condition that is necessary for the 
production of sounds or raps." — Phil Hist., p. 11. 

"It is essential that circles be always organized upon positive and 
negative principles. * * * Let the person whose electrical tempera- 
ment is usually indicated by cold hands, and who possesses a mild and 
loving disposition, take his or her place on the immediate right of the 
medium or clairvoyant, upon whose immediate left should be seated 
one of a magnetic or warm physical temperament, being a positive and 
intellectual individual," <fcc. — Tel., Xo. 26. 

4. To succeed well in getting raps, &c, the room in which 
the circle are in session should be made dark. " Put out the 
lights." 

"I am impressed to further direct that the rooms where the circles 
meet should, as much as possible, be retired from noise and interrup- 
tion ; that they should also be darkened, so that the persons present, 
not having their minds attracted and diverted by external things, may 
the more easily concentrate their thoughts upon the object for which 
they have met together." — Spirit of J. R. Fulmer — Tel. 26. 

5. There is an intimate connection, it seems, between the 
character and " condition" of the " medium," and the character 
of the communications : 

"The character of the communications depends very much on the 
condition of the medium. A high order of communication cannot be 

* It is impossible for two persons to be one positive, and the other 
negative, unless they are separated by a non-conductor. As positive 
means simply having more electricity, and negative less, and bodies are 
positive and negative in reference to each other relatively ; and inas- 
much, also, as electrical equilibrium is produced the instant the two 
bodies of different electrical states are connected by any conducting 
substance, it follows that two persons standing upon a floor, or the 
earth, or any thing but glass, cannot be the one positive, and the other 
negative. However, such philosophy will do to help keep up appear- 
ances, and cover the deception and trickery of the spirit-rappers. 



SPIRIT-RAPPING. 55 

obtained through, or in the presence of a low medium ; neither can 
low communications be received in the presence of a high medium. It 
is the physical condition of the medium that favors the production of 
sounds or raps; but it is the intellectual and moral conditions that 
give character to the intelligence connected with the sounds, mani- 
festations, or communications." — Phil. Hist., p. 11. 

6. The " medium" must give herself entirely up to the con- 
trol of the spirits ; that is, abandon herself to her imagination, 
if not to any thing else that may occur. This "giving up 
wholly to the control of the spirits," is so universally insisted 
upon that it is scarcely necessary to cite authorities. 

"In order to prepare a medium, the person must give up all self- 
control, all resistance, and resign him or herself to the entire direction 
and control of the spirits. Sometimes the process of preparation or 
development is easy and quick, at other times it is protracted and diffi- 
cult ; but it is always rendered more easy and quicker of accomplish- 
ment, by perfect resignation and entire non-resistance." — Phil. Hist., 
p. 11. 

7. It is quite important that no " materialists" or " skeptics" 
be present. "None but the candid, honest, truth-seeking in- 
quirers should be admitted." "The captious and sneering 
should be excluded" (Phil. Hist., p. 28) ; that is, let no person 
be admitted who has any doubts, or who will be likely to detect 
and expose the deception. This is probably the most important 
" condition" of all.* 

8. Although we believe it is not always regarded, yet the 
direction of the " spirits" is, that in all cases the " medium" 
should repeat the alphabet. 

"Always let the medium repeat the alphabet." — Spirits to circle in 
Phil. Hist., p. 26. 

Every thing being arranged, the " circle" take their seats at 
the table, darken the room, and in due time the "rappings" 
begin. 

* What a beautiful "philosophy" this is, and how congenial with the 
views and practices of a certain class. It not only mingles males 
and females, "positives and negatives," in the same circle; but excludes 
the "skeptics," inculcates "entire non-resistance," and then puts out the 
lights. 



56 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



A CIRCLE OF SPIRIT- RAPPERS IN SESSION. 



life 



m M I 




In the cut, the lady "medium" sits on the right, with her 
" secretary" behind her in the background. The members of 
the circle look (as they should) very "impressible;" and quite 
"negative," both as to "electricity" and common sense. And 
the gentleman who has just paid his admission- fee, and is about 
to enter the circle, is obviously sufficiently " honest" and "truth- 
seeking" for all practical purposes. 

The raps being heard, the medium inquires if the spirit of 
such a one is present. Rap, rap, rap, (yes). " Will the spirit 

of communicate with us ?" Rap, rap, rap. " Shall 

we call over the alphabet?" Rap, rap, rap. The medium 
then begins, "a, b, c, d," <fcc, till she comes to the first letter 
of the first word wanted by the spirit, when a "rap" is heard, 
and that first letter is recorded by the "secretary." The me- 
dium then goes back to "a" again, and proceeds down the list 
till she comes to the next letter wanted, when another rap is 
heard, and this second letter is recorded ; and so on, letter after 
letter, and word after word, till the whole communication is 
obtained. 



SPIRIT TELEGRAPHING. 57 

"A member of the first circle" in Philadelphia, describes this 
process as follows : 

" The first mode is performed by having the alphabet repeated by 
some person (the medium is preferred) ; this should be done slowly and 
distinctly, with a pause between each letter ; and when the letter is 
arrived at which the spirit communicating desires, there will be heard 
a rap, more or less distinctly, the .letter responded to ; it must be set 
down, and the alphabet again commenced and repeated, and in like 
manner will the desired letter be responded to. This process is re- 
peated again and again, until words are formed, and from these senten- 
ces are constructed. The sentence when finished will usually conclude 
with the word 'done.' These sentences will give what the spirit 
wishes to communicate. This mode of communication is very slow, te- 
dious, imperfect," (fee. — History, p. 47. 

To ascertain precisely how " slow" and " tedious" this method 
of spirit telegraphing is, the following plan was adopted : The 
writer requested a friend (Rev. Mr. Ayars, of the New Jersey 
Conference) to act as "■ medium" in calling over the alphabet, 
while he (the writer) acted the part of the " spirits" by rap- 
ping at the letter desired ; and the following was first written 
out and then communicated from the writer to Mr. Ayars by 
spirit-rapping : 

"My Dear Friends: I am glad of an opportunity of com- 
municating with you." Mr. Avars began, " a — b — c — d — e- — 
f — g — h — i — j — \ — i — m" (rap). Again: "a — b — c — d — e 
— f — g — h — i — j — k — 1 — m — n — o — p — q — r — s — t — u — v 
w — x — y" (rap). We had then the word "My;" and in this 
way we proceeded through the sentence. 

Now this short sentence, of only thirteen words, or fifty-six 
letters, took us full fifteen minutes to get it rapped out, even 
with the message written out beforehand, so that the " spirit" 
could see the letter desired, and rap as soon as it was named. 
And there was scarcely any " pause between each letter," as 
the rappers say there should be, and as is very necessary in 
order that the " rap" may be made at the right letter ; so that 
it was got through faster than ordinary spirit messages can be 
telegraphed by rapping. But even this rapid process gives us 
only 240 letters per hour. If any man thinks he can rap out 

3* 



58 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED 

messages letter by letter at a faster rate, let him try the ex- 
periment, and he will be convinced of his mistake. 

Now let us apply this fact to the communications that it is 
said have been rapped out by the spirit? on various occasions, 
and it will be found that instead of being given at a " sitting/' 
as they profess to have been, many of them must have required 
from five to thirty hours ! They must, therefore, have been 
obtained or composed in some other way than by being rapped 
out letter by letter, as the rappers pretend. 

Another fact worthy of note, is, that the rapping media, 
have up to this time been, and still are, nearly all ladies. A 
gentleman " rapping medium" has seldom, if ever been heard 
of. No Mr. "Foxes," or Mr. "Fishes," but in all cases ladies. 
Why is this ? Have the spirits a stronger " electrical affinity" 
for ladies than for gentlemen ? Or is it because ladies would, 
for certain reasons, be less liable to detection and exposure? 
Whether the " spirits" think of it or not, we mortals know that 
their sex and costume is a fine security against detection. And 
may not this be the reason why most of the raps are made 
through lady mediums ? 

It is also somewhat remarkable that all the " spirits," He- 
brew, Greek, Roman, French, German, and Irish, rap in Eng- 
lish. The second number of the Mountain Cove Journal con- 
tains a message said to have been received August 5th, 1852, 
from the spirit of the man healed by Peter and John, Acts iii. 
1-9 ; and yet, though nothing is more certain than that this 
" spirit" never heard a word of English in all his life, he now 
raps out his thoughts in English. In a few instances only 
have the spirits intimated that they understood other languages 
than that of the mediums On one occasion a spirit gave a 
message in Hebrew, by raps, Prof. Bush calling over the al- 
phabet (which message for some cause was carefully sup- 
pressed), and in another case, where a departed "spirit" in 
New York had made four grand mistakes, in regard to his age, 
when he died, and the time, place, and circumstances of his 
death, the lady medium said the error arose from the fact that 
the spirit responding to the inquiries was the spirit of an In- 



THE QARD PROCESS. 59 

dian, who did not understand the English language ! But 
with a few exceptions the spirits all rap in English — a very- 
significant circumstance in regard to the real origin of the " in- 
telligence."* 

Now admitting that we know not the origin of the sounds, 
any further than it is indicated by circumstances, we have 
enough already before us to show beyond a doubt, that they 
originate in the medium herself. There must be one medium, 
i. e., one person who knows how to rap, and has no conscien- 
tious scruples upon the subject. She must be a lady, to pre- 
vent scrutiny and detection. The room must be darkened and 
"skeptics" excluded for the same reason. The alphabet must 
be called over by the medium, because she knows what she 
wishes to " communicate," and when she names the letter she 
wants, can the more easily rap at the right letter. And the 
" spirits" know no language except that of the medium, and 
the "messages" are just as sensible as the medium is, and no 
more so. A high order of communications cannot be obtained 
through a low (i. e., an ignorant) medium ; and to this we may 
add the fact, which any one can demonstrate for himself, that 
many of the communications are of such a length that they 
could not have been rapped out letter by letter, in the time 
specified. It is certain, therefore, that many of them, at least, 
were written by the media at their leisure, without even a 
" rap" from any spirit embodied or ^embodied. 

THE CARD PROCESS. 

The demand for " communications" being good, and the let- 
ter-rapping process being " very slow, tedious, and imperfect," 

* A Dutchman, consulting the rappers, and discovering the sudden 
change of his wife's vernacular, reasoned on this wise: "Ish dat you, 
Mrs. Hauntz?" inquired the Dutchman. "Yes, dearest, it is your own 
wife, who — " " You lie, you ghost," interrupted Hauntz, starting from 
his seat, " mine vrow speak notting but Dutch, and she never said tear- 
est in her life. It was always, 'Hauntz, you thief!" or 'Hauntz, you 
shkampP " And the Dutchman hobbled from the room, well satisfied 
that the "rapping spirits" were all humbug, and that he was safe from 
any further communications with his shrewish vrow on this earth. 



60 SriKIT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 

another method has been adopted by which the "raps" are 
dispensed with. A card having the letters of the alphabet 
printed upon it is placed before the medium, and the spirits 
take her hand and point out the letters wanted. 

"This process consists in the medium taking the card, when a com- 
munication is desired, and commencing by voluntarily passing the 
hand over it, touching every letter with the forefinger. Often the 
hand will be required to pass over it repeatedly, before any unnatural 
sensation is experienced ; when a feeling of numbness will begin to be 
perceived, which will increase, attended by a more or less convulsive 
motion; as the hand continues its exercises, the movement becomes 
altogether involuntary; the motion now becomes increased, and the 
hand is made to pass over the card with almost incredible rapidity, 
attended with convulsive jerkings more or less severe. Sometimes it 
is very great, causing the hand to strike the card or the table upon 
which it lay, with great violence. This is continued for some time, 
when the finger will be observed to rest on a certain letter, attended 
with a shoving or rubbing motion : instantly it will be seen to fly to 
another, and then another. These letters taken down will be found to 
make words, and these words placed together make sentences. In 
this way long and highly interesting communications are spelled out 
with a rapidity requiring a very expert penman to write them down 
as fast as they are given. The medium, or any other person, watches 
the finger, and gives out the words as they are formed. The violence 
with which the hand is used becomes abated as the medium becomes 
more fully developed, and better control is got of its movements. At 
length no inconvenience is experienced, and words are spelled out with 
the utmost ease and comfort. This is a much more perfect mode of 
communication than the former, and is altogether more preferable. 
In this manner spirits are able to converse through mediums, long be- 
fore they can make the sounds. Thus important information is com- 
municated to circles, and encouragement given to them for weeks be- 
fore responses are heard." — Phil. Hist, p. 11-2. 

Upon this method, the following questions naturally arise : 

1. Why can the media least developed use the card before 
they can make the raps ? Is it because it requires more prac- 
tice to rap well than it does to spell words by pointing out the 
necessary letters ? 

2. If "spirits" can communicate by the card before the 
niedium can make the raps, and the card process is so much 
better, why did npt the spirits call for the card in the first 



VARIOUS WRITING MEDIA. 61 

place? Why adopt the slow and more difficult process of 
rapping ? 

3. Who invented this " card process ?" The first we hear 
of it is in the Philadelphia History. Did the " spirits" call for 
the card, as they originally called for the alphabet ? 

4. What proof have we, beyond the bare word of the me- 
dium, that she does not select the letters, and move her hand 
to them herself? Can the " spirits" select the letters just as 
well if she is blindfolded, or looks another way ? If not, then 
the selection of the letters and movement of the hand are 
obviously the work of the medium, and not of any foreign 
agency."* 

5. This "card process" was in full vogue in Philadelphia in 
April, 1851 (see History, pp. 37-39, &c), and yet, when the 
"spirits of the sixth circle" write their lecture on the "Modes 
of Spiritual Intercourse" by the hand of Mr. Ambler, March 
10-13, 1852, they say nothing about this "card" process. 
(See Ambler's " Teacher," pp. 6 and 137.) Now, why is this ? 
Were the " spirits" in Springfield ignorant of what had been 
done by the spirits in Philadelphia? And if so, were they 
prepared to write intelligently upon the " modes of spiritual 
intercourse?" 

WRITING MEDIA. 

From the pointing out of letters printed on a card, the 
transition to writing with the hand of the medium is very 
natural and easy. And as communications were eagerly sought 
for by a certain class, and the idea of spirit-books had occurred 
to the media, a class of " writing media" were soon " devel- 
oped." The philosophy of this process is, that the "spirits" 

* The author has offered a premium of $500, and hereby repeats the 
offer, to any card medium who will publicly spell out an intelligent 
communication blindfold, the writer being allowed to procure the card, 
and place it before the medium after she is blinded. This would prove 
conclusively that the hand was moved by a will and intelligence foreign 
to that of the medium. Will Mr. Brittan, A. J. Davis, or some of the 
Philadelphia gentlemen, attempt to make good their pretensions, by 
submitting to this test experiment? 



C2 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

A WRITING MEDIUM DIRECT PROCESS. 




fr&KR- 



take the hand and arm of the medium, paralyze it so that the 
medium shall have no control over it, and then write with it, as 
if it were their own. The " spirits" do not agree as to the 
manner in which the hand of the medium is controlled. Some 
say the spirits take hold of the medium's hand and write with 
it. They can feel the " spirit's" hand, and sometimes see it 
holding theirs. This, therefore, we denominate the- direct pro- 
cess. 

In all instances, the writing media claim to have no agency 
whatever in the production of the writing, more than to lend 
their arm and hand to the spirit. 

"In regard to the merits- of the production, it must speak for itself; 
for, whatever merit or demerit it may possess, I am worthy of neither 
praise nor censure. Astounding as may be the assertion, that I had 
no will to write it, or exercised any other control than to let my 
hand be moved by an invisible influence, and write as it would without 
any volition on my part, yet it is, nevertheless, true. * * * Indeed, 
I have found, by actual experiment, that, in a great many instances, the 
spirit who controls my hand has succeeded in writing sentences con- 
trary to my will, and while I w^as endeavoring with all my volition to 
write something else." — Hammond's Pilgrimage, p. 7, 



" spirits" alone responsible. 63 

" The reader will bear in mind, that the medium through whom this 
account was written was a young lady of sixteen, member of a refined 
and highly cultivated family, conscientious in the highest degree, and 
therefore above deception. But this was impossible, had it been in- 
tended. The medium's arm was moved entirely independent of, if not 
against her will, and made to write without her even seeing the page, 
or having any means of knowing what had been written." — Warren's 
Supernal Theology. 

"This work has been written without the necessity of thought on 
the part of the medium, and with the use of his hand independent of 
the action of his own will." — "Spirits of the Sixth Circle" in "Elements 
of Spiritual Philosophy" p. 3. 

"For several months prior to February, 1852, my hand was fre- 
quently used, by some power and intelligence entirely foreign to my 
own, to write upon subjects of which I was uninformed, and in which 
I felt little or no interest. The sentiments conveyed were entirely ad- 
verse to my most cherished views," <fcc. "The subjects treated of were 
not chosen by me, and the sentiments expressed were entirely opposite 
to my own ; consequently, I held myself committed to no sentiment 
contained in them, for reason of the use that has been made of me to 
write it." — Boynton's "Spirit Unfoldings" p. 1. 

"I found my pen moved by some power beyond my own, either 
physical or mental, and believing it to be the spirits," <fec. [Post's 
Voices from the Spirit World, p. 7.) "It depends upon the knowledge 
or wishes of the communicator what writings are given." (Ibid., p. 12.) 
" You only endeavor to keep your mind from acting." — Spirit of Geo. 
Washington to Mr. Post — Ibid., p. 33. 

The above quotations are sufficient to show that the " spir- 
its" are alone responsible for the writing ; chirography, orthog- 
raphy, and all — a point that will be of some importance when 
we come to examine their communications. The media were 
obliged to disclaim all agency in the getting up of the books, 
beyond the mere lending of a paralyzed hand, otherwise they 
would make little stir as "spirit revelations," "voices," "un- 
foldings," "messages," &c, and consequently would have but 
a limited sale. The idea of supernatural authorship must sell 
the books. But a word further respecting this process. 

1. How is it that the "spirits" have suddenly forsaken lady 
rappers, and betaken themselves to gentlemen writers ? Of all 
the ghost-books hitherto produced (and they are not a few), 
not the first one has been written by the hand of a lady. Why 



64 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

is this ? Is it because gentlemen did not make good rappers 
on account of their liability to detection, while having less con- 
science and more capital they would make better authors and 
publishers of "spirit revelations ?" 

2. If the media have no agency in the production of the 
messages more than to lend their hands to the spirits, they can 
of course look away from the desk, converse, or read aloud 
from a book, while the " spirit" is using their hands. Hence 
the representation in the cut. But will the gentlemen writing 
media consent to have their pretensions tried by this test ? No 
indeed. We have tried over and over again, both in public 
and in private, to induce some writing medium to attempt to 
show that he does not concoct and write out his messages him- 
self, by writing something when his mind is obviously engaged 
upon something else ; but" as yet no such attempt has been 
made. The offer of $500 for a successful "message" written 
under these circumstances, made at the Tabernacle in January, 
1853, and repeated in Philadelphia and elsewhere, has not yet 
been accepted, and never will be. The mediums know too 
well that their spirit " communications" emanate from their 
own brains, and that if they are not allowed to give their 
thoughts and attention to the writing, they cannot write. 

This method of medium-writing has been employed in but 
one instance, so far as we know, viz., that of Mr. Ambler, the 
youthful " seer" of New York. This gentleman tells us that 
the " spirits" sent down a current of electricity, or " spiritual 
substance" from the clouds, " about two miles distant," and by 
this means controlled his hand, as represented in the cut. He, 
of course, has no thought or responsibility in the matter, and 
is consequently represented as taking a nap in his chair while 
the spirits are writing with his hand. (See opposite page.) 

The following is the description of this process, as given 
through Mr. Ambler, by "spirits of the sixth circle:" 

"The spirit who was best adapted to this purpose, approached the 
medium whose hand and arm were to be employed, at a distance of 
about two miles from the earth ; then he breathes out the spiritual at- 
mosphere which he inhales towards the individual who now writes, 



MR. AMBLER, THE "SEER 55 OF NEW YORK. 65 



WRITING MEDIUM ELECTRICAL PROCESS. 




u.v^v?. Sc. 



and in tins manner causes a complete chain of spiritual substance to 
be established between the directing spirit and the system of the me- 
dium, by which chain a perfect connection is formed from one to the 
other, so that the hand and arm are moved by the will of the spirit, 
while at the same time the mind of the medium is entirely passive." — 
Spiritual Teacher, p. 77. 

In further describing this method of writing, Mrs. Ambler, 
and other " witnesses' ; of the miracle, say : 

"The hand and arm of the medium were suspended during the 
whole time of writing, in such a manner as not to rest on the desk or 
manuscript, and that upheld in this way, the pen glided rapidly over 
the paper with an even and continuous movement, without any appa- 
rent thought or care on the part of the writer, and without any per- 
ceptible pause at the commencement of sentences or paragraphs ; and 
in this connection it may be mentioned, that frequently, when one lee 
ture was finished, another was immediately commenced in the same 
sitting, without any previous knowledge on the part of Mr. Ambler, 
according to his own statement, with regard to the subject to be dis- 
cussed." — Teacher, p. 7. 

Here we have it again, " according to his own statement ;" 
and it is simply upon the "statement" of some ghost-book 
speculator that we are to believe that all these wonders have 



66 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



WRITING MEDIA SPIRIT-OCCUPATION PROCESS. 




taken place. But suppose Mr. Ambler had interest enough, 
and was corrupt enough" to deceive in this matter, and state 
what is not true ? What proof have we that he did not think 
out his Lectures as he wrote them, and move his own hand to 
write them, instead of its being moved by spirits ? Nothing 
but his bare assertion ; and that, too, when he dare not submit 
to any test that would demonstrate its truth or falsehood. 
Certainly a man must be credulous enough, to believe so 
transparent a romance. 

The above method of using a medium is Very different from 
the preceding. The medium takes his seat at the table, and just 
steps out of his body, and the "spirit" desiring to communi- 
cate, steps in, and uses the body, brains, hands, and muscles, 
as if they were his own. 

"The spirit wishing to communicate produces the requisite mag- 
netic condition of the system of the lady (which is a negative one, 
quite analogous to death), when her spirit leaves the body, and the one 
desiring to speak takes possession, giving somewhat its own earthly 
style of speech, tone of voice, gestures, &c. In this way many inter- 
esting and convincing demonstrations are daily being made," <fec. — P. 
B. Bristol — Telegraphy No. 2. 



a "great seer" in the fog. 67 

"Q. Can you describe Low you are able to write through a medium, 
<fec. ? Ans. I feel as though I enter into her for the time being, or as if 
my spirit entered into her. I am dismembered of my spiritual form, 
and take hers." 

"I have my spiritual form or body when I communicate by tippings 
or rappings, but to write, my spirit must enter the medium, otherwise I 
am unable to control her will or muscles. * * The moment I leave 
Alice's [the medium's] body, I assume my own." — Spirit of Adin A, 
Ballou—" Spirit Manifestations ," pp. 222, 224. 

The same doctrine is very distinctly taught, as the philosophy 
of medium -writing, in a letter from D. J. Mandell, published in 
the forty-fourth number of the Telegraph. 

When this principle of the " new philosophy" was stated by 
the writer, in his lectures at Hartford, Ct., A. J. Davis, who 
was present, denied that the " spirits" or " spiritualists" taught 
any thing of the kind. The ground of this denial was (as 
many who were present w r ell recollect), that he (Mr. Davis) had 
not seen any such teaching. And yet he had been referred, the 
evening previous, to the very pages in Mr. Ballou's book from 
which the last two of the above extracts are taken ; and he 
stated at the time of his denial that he had consulted the pages 
referred to, and that no such doctrine was there inculcated. 
Here, then, was a question of fact, or rather of veracity, be- 
tween the writer and Mr. Davis, and one which I was unable 
at the time to settle, for the want of Mr. Ballou's book, or the 
extracts copied from it. But with the above extracts before 
him, the reader will now be able to judge for himself, and to 
determine how far Mr. D. is to be relied upon, even in matters 
respecting which he professed to be well informed. 

In regard to this occupation or possession process, a few 
points are worthy of special note. 

1. How is it that this spirit was unable to control the will 
or muscles of the medium, when other spirits control media 
by paralyzing their hands, and by electricity, even at the dis- 
tance of two miles ? Is not here a slight discrepancy in the 
philosophy of the spirits ? 

2. As death is a separation of the soul from the body, and 
life is restored when the spirit returns to the body, it follows 



68 SPIRIT-RAPPING TJNTEILED. 

that, if the soul of the medium leaves the body, and another 
spirit takes its place, the medium is dead — a disembodied spirit; 
and the spirit previously disembodied comes to life, or becomes 
embodied. Surely, the "new philosophy" affords remarkable 
facilities for dying and coming to life at will, and not only gives 
the "spirits'* a chance to try the mechanism of different bodies, 
as they pass from medium to medium, but the media's spirits 
have a chance, in turn, to experiment upon the disembodied 
state, and to try their hand as " rapping" spirits while out of 
the body. Who knows but most of the " raps" heard are 
made by the spirits of writing media, who have been crowded 
out of their own bodies by other spirits, and having stood long 
and impatiently (like the ghost of the medium in the cut), 
are rapping for admission into their own material "forms?" 
But, 

3. If souls can come and go from the body with such facil- 
ity, it would of course be very easy for two spirits to exchange 
bodies, or for two persons to exchange souls. Let the spirit of 
A go out, and enter the body of B, and that of B enter the 
body of A, and the exchange is effected ; and if this " new 
philosophy" is true, and is practically adopted, the time is not 
far distant when exchanging souls, and paying the differ- 
ence, will be as common among the " seers," at least, as any 
other branch of traffic. And if a spirit had plenty of money 
to pay the difference between old and worn-out bodies, and 
young and vigorous ones, he has only to keep exchanging his 
old " forms" for new, as the body does with its garments, and 
he could live here forever. Verily, these are days of "pro- 
gress!" 

4. But suppose one of the " lower spirits," of which we 
hear so much in the "new philosophy," having got possession 
of the medium's body, and crowded his soul out into the dis- 
embodied state, should refuse to go out of the body when he 
had done writing with it, what would the poor medium do? 
His soul is fairly in the land of shades, dead to all intents and 
purposes, and another spirit has his body, and refuses to evac- 
uate. Now what will he do ? If he take out a writ of eject- 



A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. 69 

ment, the ghost has the advantage of possession;* and besides, 
how are the jury to ascertain which spirit really owns the 
body ? So this " new philosophy'' will probably lead to a new 
class of chancery practice. 

5. The spirit-occupation theory gives the mischievous " low 
spirits" a chance to use the bodies of media for other purposes 
than writing. The spirit controls the " will" and " muscles ;" 
so that if a thievish spirit gets into a medium, he will have a 
" will" to steal, and the "jnuscles" will endeavor to execute 
that will : and so of other " spirit" propensities. Is not this 
a dangerous philosophy while there are so many " low spirits" 
about ? But the thief, or murderer, or adulterer, would have 
this advantage : he could plead that his body was occupied 
and used by another spirit in the commission of the crime, 
while his own innocent spirit was '-'out" all the while, deploring 
the event ; and if the " new philosophy" is true, the excuse 
should be considered satisfactory. 

6. Another rather laughable result of this sublime " philos- 
ophy" is, that it quite confounds the sexes, and obliterates all 
the distinctions of natural history. In the case cited by Mr. 
Ballou, the spirit of a deceased gentleman enters the body of 
a youtxg lady ! Adin's soul in Alice's body ! ! Well, then, 
which is it, Alice or A din ? a lady or a gentleman ? Could 
the " medium" answer the question ? Would she not find it as 
difficult to identify herself as a certain Mr. Ami, of whom we 
once heard ? Awaking one morning after a night's lodging in 
the gutter, his clothes torn and muddy, and his person not a 
little disguised, he was heard thus to soliloquize: "Am I Ami, 
or am I not Ami ? If I am Ami, where am I ? And if I am 
not Ami, what ami?" So Miss Alice might have inquired: 
"Am I Alice, or am I not Alice ?" Will some of our " seers" 
inform us who the medium was, under the circumstances, Adin 
or Alice ? a lady or a gentleman ? 



* " 'Possession/ they say, 'is nine points in law,' and it seems to sus- 
tain a similar proportion in its relations to the spiritual phenomena and 
demonstrations of the age." — Tel., No. 44. 



70 SPIRIT- RAFFING UNVEILED. 

7. This " occupation" theory bears a striking resemblance to 
one of which we hear much in the New Testament, with this 
difference, that the " spirits" in those times were devils. These 
entered into bodies with human spirits, and were often cast out 
by Christ and his apostles ; and if Mr. Davis and his followers 
will admit that the "low spirits" of the "new philosophy" are 
the " devils" of the New Testament, we will let the occupation 
process pass without further criticism. That " low spirits" have 
lately taken possession of certain media, we are not disposed 
to question. 

8. But waiving all this absurdity, nonsense, and irreligion, 
and admitting for the moment that this occupation theory 
might be true, what proof have w T e that it is true? Like 
all the rest of the system, it rests upon the bare word of the 
medium, whose interest is served by keeping up the delusion. 
And upon their very disinterested assertions we are called upon 
to throw aside our Bibles, open our mouths, and swallow their 
silly transcendentalism and infidelity, as revelations from heav- 
en. Certainly, they must think the public mind very "impres- 
sible." 

WRITING MEDIA SPIRIT-IMPRESSION PROCESS. 

This class of media are not conscious of having their hands 
used by an invisible power, nor yet of having their bodies oc- 
cupied and used by the spirits of the dead ; but they, never- 
theless, write by "spirit impression," the thoughts and words 
being "impressed" upon their minds. Of this class is Mr. 
Harshman, of Dayton, Ohio, and others. 

"When the spiritual influence commenced, present thoughts and 
preconceived ideas vanished and disappeared from my mind, and after 
a few minutes, without any thought or knowledge of the subject mat- 
ter that was to he written, I would he impressed with the word or sen- 
tence to be written, although my* hand was not moved by any myste- 
rious power, but my mind was guided by the spirit's will, and they tell 
me that they had to impress every word and sentence upon my mind 
before it was written ; and as fast as it was written it vanished from 
the mind, while other words and sentences were impressed upon tL« 
mind." — Harshman' s Love and Wisdom from the Spirit World, p. 7 



WETTING BY IMPRESSION. 71 

Here we have it again. Mr. Harsh man says : " My mind 
was guided hy the spirit's will," and " they tell me they had 
to impress every word and sentence upon my mind ;" but 
might not Mr. H. have mistaken his own imaginings or cogita- 
tions for " impressions' , from spirits?* And is it not possible 
that he fabricated this story, to awaken curiosity and sell his 
book ? Still further ; is it not possible that Mr. H. is partially 
insane, as many of the media are well known to be ? 

But if any insist that his insipid and almost senseless pages, 
well sprinkled with infidelity, were actually written " by spirit- 
ual impression/' is it not most probable that fallen angels are 
the real " spirits" at work, who have suggested what he has 
written to his mind ? If " low spirits" can so easily pass them- 
selves off for " spirits of the sixth circle," and* other exalted 
characters, as the new philosophy admits ; and if the apostles 
and prophets could not distinguish the disembodied human 
spirits, which moved them to write the Bible, from the Spirit 
of God (see quotation from Ambler, page 27 of this work), is 
it not possible that Mr. Harshman, and all other media of his 
class, have mistaken impressions made by Satan for those made 
by departed spirits ? To our view, this is by far the most 
scriptural and philosophical explanation of the " spirit-impres- 
sion process." The cut on the next page will illustrate the 
manner in which the process is most probably conducted, as it 
appears to the eye of God and holy angels. It no doubt 
represents the only external agency employed in the operation. 



* Mr. A. J. Davis, " the seer," has inadvertently thrown a ray of light 
upon Mr. Harshman's inspiration. At the close of the author's lectures 
at Hartford, Ot., February, 1853, Mr. Davis stated publicly that he saw- 
Mr. Harshman just before in Ohio ; that Mr. H. gave him one of his 
books ; that he (Davis) had not yet read it ; and that Mr. Harshman 
wished Davis to help him to determine whether the book was dictated 
by spirits, or was the product of his own brain. And yet Mr. H. sent 
the book forth, notwithstanding his misgivings as to its origin, as a veri 
table spirit's revelation. Like Judge Edmonds, he seems to have had 
some terrible doubts as to his inspiration — a symptom, we should think, 
of returning rationality. 



72 



SriEIT-RxirPIXG UNVEILED. 



WRITING BY SPIRITUAL IMPRESSION. 




This process must be far more productive of evil than for 
Satan to simply transform himself into an angel of light; 
for by this means he can dictate <c spirit revelation" to any 
extent, fill the land with counterfeit " disclosures" which the 
people will read, and at the same time strike a good blow at 
the Bible, the ministry, the churches, and at Christianity itself. 
If there are such beings as devils (as we have no doubt), they 
must have been deeply concerned in the getting up of the va- 
rious infidel ghost-books that have recently been published. 

SPIRIT PHONOGRAPHY. 

In all the preceding modes of communicating, it is necessary 
for the medium to enter his "superior state" (which is several 
degrees beyond clairvoyance), and to remain in that state till 
the communication is all written out. This too, like rapping 
out messages, is somewhat tedious, as it is very fatiguing to 
keep up the "abnormal" or supernatural appearances for sev- 
eral hours together. To relieve this difficulty, the "spirits" 
have a kind of celestial phonography, by which very long mes- 
sages may be given in a short time, and translated by the 



SPIRIT PHONOGRAPHY. 73 

" medium," or some other person, at their leisure. The follow- 
ing description of this spirit-language is taken from an article 
by Dr. Bristol, of Danville, N. Y., published in the thirty-fourth 
number of the Spiritual Telegraph : 

"The following is said to be a specimen of the language used by 
spirits of the higher spheres, in conveying their ideas. It is written in 
characters entirely different from those of any earthly language, and 
with astonishing rapidity by a medium near here. It is translated and 
spoken by a young lady who resides in my family. I give the sounds 
of a short sentence, as nearly as they can be represented by the English 
alphabet: 'Ki-e-lou-cou-ze-ta.' The translation given of these few 
sounds, is as follows: 'As heaven or the spirit-spheres are to be the 
future home of all mankind, so is knowledge to accompany them in the 
paths of wisdom ; while peace and love, in a chain of goodness, shall 
bind the universal whole in the bonds of harmony.' 

"It will readily be seen, by the brevity of the language, that the 
facility of obtaining communications from the spirit-land is greatly in- 
creased. More can be written at one sitting than was formerly done 
in weeks. The young lady, Miss II., translates the manuscript in her 
natural state, having learned the language in the spirits' home. So, 
the heretofore tedious methods of obtaining long communications, a 
few words or sentences at a time, will soon be dispensed with. A half 
dozen lines written in the superior condition, and translated in the 
natural state at leisure, becomes an interesting essay, or a splendid 
sermon of an hour long. What will not progression yet reveal to 
us?" 

Noiv, what does the reader think of spirit-telegraphing ? 
The " spirits" have a ivritten language, in phonetic character, 
very comprehensive ; and while they write it by one medium, 
they have taken a young lady to the " spirits' home," and have 
taught her the language, so that she translates it with ease and 
facility. And how very convenient for the " spirits !" If a 
word of thirteen letters, like "Ki-e-lou-cou-ze-ta," can be ex- 
panded to 45 words, or 183 letters (say fourteen-fold), what 
an immense saving of time from " the superior state !" 

But who knows that the "medium" who writes the " Jci-e- 
lou," <fec, is controlled by any foreign influence? And what 
evidence have we beyond her bare word that "Miss H.," the 
translator, does not read this spirit phonography precisely as a 
Gipsy fortune-teller would read off your fortune from the 

4 



74 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

wrinkles in your hand ; i. e., makes it up as she goes along ? 
This, of course, is all the translation there is about it. 

SPIRIT-WRITING INDEPENDENT PROCESS. 

This process is simply the use of a pen or pencil by the 
"spirits," independently of any media whatever. It is de- 
scribed by Air. Ballou as " writing with pens, pencils, and other 
substances, both liquid and solid, sometimes on paper, some- 
times on common slates, and sometimes on the ceilings of a 
room," &c. — Manifestations, p. 9. Efforts at this kind of 
writing, by an "illiterate spirit," are described pp. 187-8. In 
this way it is said that a " sentiment" was written in the room 
of Edward P. Fowler, New York, on the night of Dec. 2 2d, 
1851, by the spirit of Benj. Franklin, and signed by some fifty 
other spirits ; and in the same way the celebrated Hebrew quo- 
tation (of which we shall speak hereafter) is said to have been 
written by spirits in Mr. Fowler's room in the day-time, Dec. 
10th, 1852. See Telegraph, Nov. 9th and 22d. 

On one of these occasions Mr. Fowler saw Benj. Franklin 
with a large box of electrical apparatus (galvanic we suppose) ; 
and when the autographic spirits were subsequently asked " if 
the signatures were in each case executed by the will of each 
spirit whose name appears, or done by one operator for the 
whole ?" the answer was, " Each for himself, by the aid of 
the battery!" — Telegraph, No. 22 

Leaving the " Autographs" and the " Hebrew" to be con- 
sidered in the chapter on the Literature of the Spirits, a re- 
mark or two will suffice in regard to this method of writing : 

1. It is very remarkable that although this notable miracle 
was wrought, according to Mr. Fowler, in December, 1851, it 
was not published to the world till July and October, 1852. 

2. Who is Mr. E. P. Fowler? Is he a shrewd, cautious 
person, who would not be likely to be imposed upon ? or is he 
a young and visionary student, who would be very likely to 
see ghosts, and to be selected as a tit subject for an imposition ? 
And has he not, moreover, an interest in the sale of ghost 
books, and the propagation of ghost stories ? Is he in any 



SPEAKING BY AFFLATUS. 75 

way related to Fowlers and Wells, Phrenologists and Publish- 
ers ? It is much more likely that certain gentlemen in New 
York, engaged in "spiritual" matters, have selected him as the 
"medium" for a "spiritual" trick and imposition, than that 
Benj. Franklin and others appeared to him with a galvanic 
" battery" under his arm, and wrote " by the aid of the bat- 
tery." The whole story is too ridiculous to be told in any 
civilized community ; and as it rests, like all the rest of these 
wonders, upon the saneness and veracity of the medium, we 
leave it without further comment. Let those believe it who 
can. 

SPEAKING MEDIA. 

The speaking media claim to be occupied by "spirits," like 
one class of writing media, and to speak just what the " spir- 
its" choose to speak through them, without any thought or vo- 
lition of their own. In this way the spirits preach, lecture, &c. 
A certain Mr. Finney, and Mr. Ambler, of New York, claim to 
be speaking media, and to discourse by "spiritual afflatus." 

Speaking of Mr. Finney, Mr. Ambler says : 

"Mr. Finney claims to speak under the direction of spirits, and he 
asserted last evening that he never premeditated what he said, that he 
was not liberally educated, and that he had read but very little ; he 
also said that he never spoke in public till about six months since, and 
that he was forced from the carpenter's bench (he being then a jour- 
neyman joiner), to take the stand before the public, by spiritual in 
fiuences." — Spirit Messenger. 

In his Messenger, No. 7, Mr. Ambler says : 

"By invitation, we visited the friends in Hartford on Sunday, the 
21st instant, and delivered two lectures, under spiritual influence, to 
large and attentive audiences." 

Of Mr. Spear, Mr. Hewitt, his secretary, says : 

"Early in Mr. Spear's spiritual experience, a peculiar speaking in- 
spiration came upon him, and through that he delivered several dis- 
courses to as many congregations. The first of these was given in the 
town of Essex, Mass., some twenty-five miles northeast of Boston, on 
the first Sunday of April last. The second was delivered at Ports- 
mouth, 1ST. H., on the Fourth of July. Since that, he has been the in- 
strument of the same kind of influence, in giving discourses at Hope- 



76 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

dale, Milford, Mass., and at Milford, N. H. ; and subsequently, he has 
delivered several in the city of Boston, at private circles, and confer- 
ences." — Messages, p. 45. 

Of these speaking media Mr. Ballou says : 

<4 Spirits not only rap out the messages in languages foreign to the 
medium, but by impressing the mind of a suitable medium, enable him 
to speak in a language to him entirely unknown." — Manifestations, 
p. 253. 

Accordingly Mr. Finney and others sometimes speak in " un- 
known tongues," like the Mormon " elders" that were explor- 
ing the country a few years since. But in all cases, so far as 
we can learn, the " tongues" are not only "unknown" to the 
medium, but to everybody else. It is very easy for an impos- 
tor to jabber over certain incoherent sounds, and call them an 
" unknown tongue," in order to deceive the people ; but there 
is not a speaking " medium" in the Union through whom any 
spirit can speak a sentence in Greek or Latin, French or Ger- 
man, unless the medium first understands the language to be 
spoken. Then they may pretend to speak by "afflatus" in 
those languages as well as in any other. 

These are the principal modes of "spiritual communication," 
so far as we know; and it is easy to see that they are all an 
unmitigated deception, and an imposition upon the public. 
There may be " writing and speaking media" who are so hallu- 
cinated as to think and believe that their hands or tongues are 
used by the spirits of the dead, for the purpose of writing and 
speaking ; but all such " impressions" are like the whims and 
fancies of a maniac, and the visions of a victim of delirium tre- 
mens. 

But some are sane, and know very well that not a word of 
what they write and send forth to the world as messages from 
the dead, comes from any other source than their own intel- 
lects. And this we design fully to prove before we gat 
through. 

It is a fact worthy of note, that these gentlemen find no dif- 
ficulty in making appointments to speak " by spiritual impres- 
sion," and invoking the spirits precisely when they want them ; 



A "spiritual lecture." 77 

but if an interview is desired, at which it is feared that the 
knavery and deception of the thing may be exposed, the ex- 
cuse generally is, that "the spirits cannot attend." 

2. Lectures have been delivered " by spiritual impression," 
in one case, at least, that were in type before they were deliv- 
ered, if not actually printed. 

3. These lectures delivered by " afflatus," if rightly reported, 
would be a disgrace to a Hottentot, much more to any man of 
common intelligence. The following is a description of one of 
Mr. Ambler's "spiritual lectures," copied from the Brooklyn 
Eacrle : 

" A Spiritual Lecture. — An individual named Ambler, delivered a 
lecture last evening at the Brooklyn Museum, on the subject of the 
spirits. According to the announcement published in our columns, the 
lecture was to be delivered by "spiritual impression," We cannot say 
whether the lecture was actually dictated by spirits; but if it was, it 
must have been the spirits of a number of superannuated donkeys; for 
nothing so stupid could emanate from the spirit of any thing, save an 
ass, and a very dull one at that. The lecturer, after appearing on the 
stage, sat down and threw himself into a number of attitudes, meant 
to be desperately graceful, and remained for some time without com- 
mencing his performance, no doubt waiting to be moved by the spirits. 
At last he commenced his discourse, and poured out a stream of mouth- 
ing nonsense without the fraction of an idea at the bottom of it ; it was 
not merely muddy, it was all mud; it was not simply chaffy, it was all 
chaff. There was, moreover, beneath the volume of vapid rant, an 
apparent effort to inculcate infidelity, and subvert Divine Revelation, 
showing plainly enough that the object of the trashy discourse was as 
vicious as it was silly. At the conclusion of the scene a "collection" 
was taken up by the lecturer's direction, which realized some half- 
dozen pennies. The audience was composed of the most indulgent class 
of the community, and yet there was considerable hissing, expressive 
of universal disgust. One useful purpose would be served by a multi- 
plication of such lectures, and that would be the extinguishment of a 
dangerous humbug." 

But what more could have been expected ? Mr. Ambler is 
an illiterate and weak-minded man, as is obvious from his 
writings ; and how could he give the people any thing but 
" chaff?" 

Besides the various modes of spirit-communication already 



78 



Sl'IKIT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 



SEVERAL "SPIRir.s'' IN ONE BODY. 




described, there are certain other " abnormal" phenomena at 
tributed to the spirits that deserve to be noticed in this chapter. 



MEDIUM IN A TRANCE. 

The spirit of Adin A. Ballou has revealed to us the reason 
why media sometimes fall into a trance ; namely, that the spirits 
not only crowd the soul of the medium out of the " form," but 
several spirits crowd into the forsaken body at the same time. 

"More than one spirit can enter the medium at once. The mediums 
all go into the trance by means of several spirits entering the body at 
one time." — Manifestations, p. 222. 

This is an interesting item of " spirit philosophy," and wor- 
thy of pictorial illustration. The above cut presents its leading 
feature to the eye. The spirit of the " seer" has stepped out, 
and may be seen as a spectre off at the right, while his "form" 
is left reclining in an arm-chair, "and crowded with "spirits," 
even to overflowing. By this means it is thrown into a trance. 
The poor spirit in the background looks quite meek and pa- 
tient, and yet a little anxious; as any spirit would naturally 
feel, to see its "form" occupied by several spirits, hustling 



POINTING AND DANCING MEDIA. 79 

against each other, and throwing the body into a trance. "Ah," 
says he, "that is rather rough usage for any poor 'form!' A 
great want of ' harmony' here. One at a time, gentlemen ; 
one at a time : let Franklin communicate first, after which we 
will hear from George Washington!" 

This manifold occupation theory will no doubt suggest to 
thfc reader the following parallel, taken from the twelfth chap- 
ter of Matthew : 

" When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through 
dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 

"Then he saith, I will return into mine own house from whence I 
came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and gar- 
nished. 

"Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more 
wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last 
state of that man is worse than the first." 

Now, if the " spirits" of the necromancers are the " unclean 
spirits" of the New Testament, we have no further controversy 
with them. Certain it is, that in no case are media made bet- 
ter by the new possession ; the " last state" is invariably " worse 
than the first." 

POINTING MEDIA. 

The following description of the pointing media is from the 
pen of Mr. Hammond, the Rochester "seer," as published in 
the 13th number of the Telegraph : 

"The pointing mediums signify to each other by signs what is re- 
quired, and their silent language is readily obeyed. I saw whole 
circles formed and placed in their proper order without a word being 
uttered, and I saw no one suspicious of evil or disposed to reproach the 
medium, because it was not comprehensible to their minds. All were 
disposed to wait the result without anticipating a judgment." 

Astonishing ! " Whole circles formed, and placed in their 
proper order" by signs, " without a word being uttered !" 
Verily this must be an age of miracles ! 

DANCING MEDIA. 

In the 39th number of the Telegraph we have a letter from 



80 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Mr. McCann Dunn, describing " the phenomena at the West.' 
In that letter, Mr. D. says : 

"It is now nearly one year since the first manifestations, claiming to 
be spiritual, were made, which were in the form of 'raps,' as they are 
familiarly termed. This order of manifestations was soon superseded 
by the higher — such as writing and clairvoyance, but more generally 
by a species of dancing or exercising which we have not seen described 
in any of the spiritual periodicals now published, and are therefore in- 
clined to the opinion that these phenomena are indigenous to the West. 
In these dances the former individual, as well as national character of 
departed persons, is often portra}^ed by those entirely unacquainted 
with them — in such a striking manner as to be recognized by their ac- 
quaintances. 

"We think that we can safely state, there are one hundred persons 
in this vicinity who have been thus influenced ; representing all classes 
and ages, from the child of two years, to the parent of fifty, or up- 
ward. We have frequently seen twenty-five, and sometimes as many 
as fifty persons at one time, dancing to the merry music of the violin* 
— a scene so novel and interesting in its character, as not to fail to elicit 
the attention and consideration of the most skeptical." 

In the 13th number of the Telegraph (which it seems Mr. 
Dunn had not read), Mr. Hammond thus describes the same 
phenomenon : 

"The dancing mediums are old. and young, and of both sexes. Some- 
times the dance is performed in a circle of three or four persons, but 
not always. The movements are very eccentric, yet often exceedingly 
graceful. This part of the manifestations came rather in contact with 
my sense of propriety, but as I was willing to let the spirits do as they 
pleased, and as I saw nothing repulsive to my moral feelings, I gradu- 
ally inclined to relish it much the same as the rest of the company. 
There was a peculiar feature in this display of spirit-power which ar- 
rested my attention. No one who danced desired it, neither could they 
stop it. They sometimes made an effort (for they were conscious) to 
sit down or fall down, but they could not do either. When music was 
heard, I observed that accurate time was kept by the mediums." 

In the same number of the Telegraph, a correspondent 
writes from Cleveland, Ohio, as follows : 

* The " spirits," it seems, do not dance without music : and like most 
other dancing characters, they are very fond of the "fiddle." Really, 
this must convince the "skeptics." 



A "spiritual dance." 

DANCING MEDIA IN DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.* 



81 




"A lady who had joined the Methodist Church, in Cleveland, only 
two weeks previous, was thrown into a magnetic, or, as our western 
friends call it, a spiritualized condition, and called for music; and after 
she had danced fifteen or twenty minutes, was suddenly released, and 
returned home, I presume, none the worse for what she could not help. 
But lest the reader may indulge some scruples, I may be permitted to 
say, that I regard the dancing as a. preparatory exercise to other more 
useful developments. I saw several exhibitions of dancing during my 
stay in Cleveland, and I have reason to believe that such exercises may 
be necessary to prepare persons for a membership that will confound 
the ignorance and prejudice of intolerant hypocrisy, that dare not own 
the truth until popular opinion yields to the force of facts." * * * On 



* The reader will observe that the "national character" of the "for- 
mer individual" is exhibited bv the media during their dances; so that 
if six spirits — say the spirit of a "Shaker" a negro, an "old maid" an 
Indian chief, a Turk, and a "brother Jonathan" were to make a descent 
upon a circle of six media, enter their bodies, and set them to dancing, 
they would act out the six characters that had entered them as repre- 
sented in the cut. It is no caricature of the "new philosophy," but a 
faithful representation of it, as it would appear in practice. Those* 
therefore, who have never seen a " spirit dance," can see one in the 
abttve cut, drawn to the lift. 



4* 



82 SPIRIT-RAPPING ITNVEILED. 

Sunday all the circles meet in a large hall, and various exercises are 
enjoyed as the spirits direct." 

And if " the spirits direct" them to dance on the Sabbath, of 
course they dance ; especially as they " cannot help" it, and 
dancing is "necessary to prepare persons for a mediumship." 
And yet this gross immorality is labelled " spiritualism ;" and 
even some professed Christians are disposed to apologize for it, 
as consistent with Christianity. 

In A. J. Davis' address delivered at Cleveland, Ohio, on 
Sabbath, December 7, 1852, we find the following: 

" ' What will people say V Perhaps you helong to the Church, hut 
your spirit o'erleaps the rigid formality thereof, and feels like dancing. 
'What will people say?' Perhaps you feel like bursting away from 
your sectarian bonds, and doing your own thinking." 

It is obvious from the preceding extracts that the " spirits" 
are not only much given to dancing, like the satyrs of old, but 
that dancing is an important part of the discipline requisite for 
" developing" media. And from A. J. Davis downward, it 
seems to be admitted that spirit-dancing is a legitimate branch 
of the " new philosophy." It is this feature, no doubt, that 
has attached now and then a "Shaking Quaker" to this "spirit" 
movement, besides some others who wish to be religious, and 
yet are very fond of dancing.* 

But it is time to close this chapter. We have now a fair 
and unvarnished exhibition of the various alleged modes of 
" spiritual communication," from the first raps down to writing 
without a medium, and speaking through human throats ; the 
descriptions being mainly in the language of the necromancers 
themselves, and faithfully represented to the eye in the cuts. 
And if all history can furnish another such chapter of absurdi- 
ties, contradictions, nonsense, and imposition, we should like to 
see it. Salem witchcraft and Mormonism are fairly eclipsed, 
and left forever in the rear. 



* The reader will find some still more remarkable "developments" 
upon this subject in chapter xi., under the head of "Remarkable Reve- 
lations of the Spirits." 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 83 



CHAPTER IX. 

THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 

Sources of information — Both matter and spirit eternal — Man never fell — 
Needs no conversion — Christ a mere man — Never made any atonement' — ■ 
Never rose from the dead — Never wrought any miracles — Borrowed his 
wisest sayings — The Bible not of God — One of the worst of books — No 
devils — No hell — No resurrection — No Day of Judgment — Christianity 
no blessing — Ministers hypocrites — Churches must be broken up — Civil 
government abolished — No Sabbaths — Marriage annulled — Practical nul- 
lification — Summary of spirit theology — Who are the " mediums V — 
Davis, Hammond, Brittan, Post, Ballou, Partridge, Spear, Hoar, Win- 
chester, Ambler, Harsh man, Boynton, &c. 

From the various kinds of media, or modes of communica- 
ting, as described in the preceding chapter, let us now turn 
our attention to the communications themselves. These we take 
as we find them in the ghost-books and papers, and shall en- 
deavor by a careful analysis of them to exhibit the teachings 
of the so-called "spirits," as respects their theology, philosophy, 
consistency, &c. The present chapter will exhibit the 

THEOLOGY OF THE "SPIRITS." 

To economize space, and avoid circumlocution, I will first 
state the doctrine taught by the " spirits," and then support 
the articles, one by one, by quotations from the " messages." 

I. The spirits teach that both matter and spirit are eternal ; 
or in other words, that nothing zoas ever created. 

"Matter and spirit are both eternal co-existent substances, " &e. — 
Ballou, p. 11. 

"Matter is eternal; it ever was, it ever will be." — Boyntorts Unfold- 
ing s, p. 15. 

" The Divine Soul is the Parent of the human soul — both eternal." — 
Messenger, No. 7. 

Here we have not only the doctrine that our souls have 
existed from all eternity, but that the material universe, also, 
never had a beginning. But if matter is eternal, then eternity is 



81 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

not a peculiar attribute of Deity ; and if nothing ever was created, 
then there is no Creator, and the transition to atheism is natural 
and easy. No wonder, therefore, that the " spirits" seldom al- 
lude to the Supreme Being, more than if he had no existence. 

II. Man never fell ; and the doctrine of natural depravity is 
false. 

"Man never fell. * * The idea of total depravity, or original sin, 
in the human race, is an absurdity, a relic of the past, developed in 
mythologic times." — Spirits through Finney — Messenger, No. 11. 

" Q. Then man was not made, originally, as perfect physically and 
spiritually as he is now? 

"A. No; many changes have taken place. He has progressed in his 
physical being with his spiritual development." — Colloquy with spirits — 
Phil. Hist, p. 90. 

"What God has made pure and holy in its nature, can never be ren- 
dered impure and unholy. * * * Man can never, in any circumstance, 
or by any possibility become totally depraved, but the soul remains 
pure," <fec. — Spirits through Ambler — Teacher, pp. 35, 36. 

"A general sentiment has prevailed, among the most advanced minds 
on the earth, that the world needs to be reformed ; that the structure of 
existing society is wrongly constructed, and that it is a source of preva- 
lent evils which do not exist inherently in the nature of man. This 
sentiment the spirits recognize as perfectly correct, and they have been 
pleased to witness its rapid progress among the minds of the mass. It 
is a true and righteous thought that humanity is at present in a de 
graded state, and that this state results, not so much from any inherent 
tendency to evil, as from the false and unnatural position in which it is 
placed."— Ibid., p. 125. 

III. Men need no external assistance, like conversion or regen- 
eration by the Spirit of God, in order to reformation. 

Speaking of the causes by which the desired effect of human 
redemption may be produced, the "spirits" say: 

"These causes are inherent in the constitution of man; they are 
already established in the organization of both body and spirit, and all 
that is needed to be accomplished by those who are the unseen agents 
of the work here represented, is to bring these causes into active and 
successful operation. In other words, there are certain established 
principles in the human structure — certain relations subsisting between 
the body and spirit, and certain influences at work upon the entire sys- 
tem of man, by which the desired and designed result of a universal 
reformation can be and will be attained." — Teacher, p. 127. 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 85 

Thus the spirits strike at the very foundations of the evan- 
gelical system ; and while they flatter the pride and self- 
sufficiency of the depraved heart, set aside the only means 
which God has instituted for man's recovery and salvation. 

IV. Jesus Christ was a mere man — a reformer, like many 
others. 

Mr. Boynton, of Waterford, N. Y., represents John Wesley 
as writing the following with his (Boynton's) hand : 

"It has been supposed and believed that Jesus was all of God, and 
also a perfect man, which thing is false. Jesus was a great and good 
man ; but there was nothing more miraculous about his conception, 
birth, life, and teachings, than any good man. Jesus never taught peo- 
ple to pay divine homage to him ; he never taught that he was the Son 
of God, except in the sense in which other men might be the sons of 
God." — Unfoldings, p. 7. 

"What is the meaning of the word Christ. Tis not as is generally 
supposed the son of the Creator of all things. Any just and perfect 
beincr is Christ. The crucifixion of Christ is nothing; more than the 
crucifixion of the spirit, which all have to contend with before becom- 
ing perfect and righteous. The miraculous conception of Christ is 
merely a fabulous tale." — Spirit of Julias Hicks — Telegraph, No. 37. 

" God adopted him as his Son from his birth, as he would every indi- 
vidual who should walk in the path that Christ walked in from his 
birth." — The Bible as a Book, <tc, by Alfred W. Hoar, medium — p. 22.* 

V. Jesus Christ never made an atonement for sin. 

In the "Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine, and others, to the seventh 
circle," &c, by G. Hammond, medium, we find the following : 

"Thy wisdom will be increased, when thou shalt see the atonement 
in thyself, and not hope for it because another has it. * * When thou 
6halt agree with the Bible, in regard to the atonement, then thou wilt 
find the atonement in thy works, as thou now seest it in Christ. * * 
Doing good is the atonement," p. 120. 

* This book, purporting to be from St. Paul, is probably the worst 
in the whole list of ghost-books. In the title we have the following: 

"Being a humble spirit of God, now in heaven, I send forth this 
epistle unto the world, in the year of Christ 1852, in the fifth month of 
the same. — Paul." 

It is published by Beta Marsh, Boston, who is the publisher of several 
other books of the same character. Parents, guardians, Christians, and 
Christian ministers, will do well to beware of books having his imprint. 



86 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

"Christ, as I have said, gave man a way by'his example, to be re- 
deemed from his sins, by following, in his daily life, the laws of his 
being, as Christ did; but if man thinks that by Christ's spilling his 
blood on the cross, his sins will be forgiven without following the law 
and gospel, of which Christ has set the example, he has fallen into a 
mistake that he should speedily rid himself of. * * This verse [C0II03. 
i. 4] should read, "In whom we have redemption, by following his ex- 
ample, even the forgiveness of sins." — Hoar's Bible as a Book, p. 65-6. 

The " spirits of the sixth circle" thus ridicule the atonement, 
through the mediumship of Mr. Ambler. After speaking of 
the efforts to extend Christianity on the earth, they ask : 

"And yet what is the effect of all this? Answer, ye who rely upon 
the saving power of religious faith. Answer, ye who have believed in 
the redemption of the world through human blood. Answer, ye who 
have cherished the faith that the race are cleansed from its corruptions 
through the sufferings and death of an individual who lived on the 
earth more than eighteen hundred years ago." — Teacher, p. 99. 

In the 21st number of the Spirit Messenger the editor gives 
an account of "another visit to Hartford/' in which he says: 

"It may be stated as an item of interest that Mr. Davis was conse 
crated to the work of human redemption under the name of a guide 
and leader, by the light of whose revealments those who now sit in the 
valley and shadow of death may be brought forth to the blissfulness of 
a new day." 

So it seems that these sorcerers have installed A. J. Davis 
as the redeemer of the world, in the place of Jesus Christ ! 

VI. Jesus Christ never rose from the dead. 

In a letter from Dr. Bristol, Dansviile, 1ST. Y., published in 
the Telegraph, No. 34, we have the following: 

"On Sabbath evening, November 28, we were favored with a highly 
interesting and pungent discourse, on the 'resurrection of the body,' 
by the spirit of Wm. Ellery Channing. It came very apropos, as a 
diseourse was being delivered at the same time in one of the churches 
of the town on the same subject. After listening to the spirit some 
forty-five minutes, a gentleman present raised a question concerning 
the resurrection and ascension of the earthly body of Christ. The spirit 
said it was contrary to immutable law, hence could not be. He then 
explained the Scripture thus: the spirit of Christ was not wholly sepa- 
rated from the body when he was placed in the tomb, and the guardian 
spirits, who had attended him through life, using him as a medium, 
rolled away the stone, restored the spirit to the body, and Christ walked 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 87 

bodily out of the tomb. Some time afterward lie died naturally, his 
body was left to molder back to dust, and his spirit, seen only by those 
who were mediums, ascended to heaven." 

This letter was sent to Mr. Brittan, to be published " if he 
thought best;" and its publication in the Telegraph shows that 
Mr. Brittan, its editor, thinks it best to deny the resurrection of 
the Son of God, and as far as possible to destroy all faith, not 
only in his Messiahship and redeeming acts, but in Christianity 
itself. Well do these infidels understand, that if they can 
throw doubt over the resurrection of Christ, they succeed, to 
the same extent, in throwing doubt over the whole system of 
human redemption. " If Christ be not risen, then is our 
preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 

VII. Jesus Christ never wrought any miracles. 

In the letter from Dr. Bristol, already referred to, the spirit 
of Channing says : 

''The gentleman then inquired how Lazarus was raised after having 
been dead three days, and his body offensive by decay? The reply 
was : * Were you there, sir, to know that his body was putrid ? It was 
not. * * The spirit of Lazarus had not entirely left the body ; he was 
in a trance. Christ in his superior condition saw this, and by his mag- 
netic power restored the action of the system. The same was done at 
the restoration of the maid.' " — Telegraph, No. 34. 

In perfect keeping with the above, take the following from 
Brittan's " Shekinah," p. 218: 

"It is interesting to the Christian to learn, that the same miracle, 
repeated by Jesus of Nazareth, of ' walking on the water,' is recorded 
of the lo7ig-haired Sa?nian, nearly six hundred years before the time 
of the Saviour ; and that he also calmed the tempestuous waves and 
soothed the waters of the angry seas, that his disciples might safely 
pass over them. And we shall be reminded of the same holy prophet 
of Galilee, and of the voice heard at his baptism in the Jordan, by the 
story told of the divine Pythagoras, ages before, that in crossing the 
river Nessus, with a large company of his disciples and friends, a clear 
voice from the stream was heard to speak distinctly, by all present, 
saying, 'Hail! Pythagoras!'" 

" Christ is spoken of as feeding a great many people with bread and 
fishes. This was not correct. * * God never gave power to any 
spirit or object of his creation to put aside any law of an object of hia 
creation." — Hoar's Bible as a Book, pp. 27, 28. 



88 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Speaking of the account of the transfiguration of Christ, the 
same " spirit" says : " This is true, except as it relates to Moses 
and Elias," p. 29. Of his miracles, generally, he says: "In 
respect to the miracles which he performed before the eye of 
man, they are to be taken as things of time, which have been 
and are now shown to the world," p. 38. Of the death of 
Ananias and Sapphira he says : " The people thought that it 
was a miracle, yet this was not the case," p. 47. 

In order to degrade the Redeemer of the world as much as 
possible, he is not only classed with wise men (and some not 
very wise) as only one among them, but his wisest and most 
admired sayings are represented as having been borrowed from 
others. In the Messenger, p. 187, "Jesus, Socrates, and Con- 
fucius," are mentioned together as "the world's most immortal 
teachers." And Mr. Brittan, after having promised his readers 
lives and portraits of the " seers," " both ancient and modern," 
in the " Shekinah," inserts portraits of Pythagoras, Judge Ed- 
monds, Jesus Christ, Benjamin Franklin, and S. B. Brittan ! thus 
putting Judge Edmonds and himself among the "seers," and so 
far as appears to the contrary, on a level with Jesus Christ. 

The following account of the origin of the golden rule, is 
from Mr. Brittan's Shekinah, p. 308. 

" Do unto another as thou wouldst be dealt with thyself. Thou only 
needest this law alone; it is the foundation and principle of all the 
rest. — Confucius, b. c. 550. 

"Do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you. — Jesus. 

" It is much more holy to be injured than to kill a man. — Pythagoras, 
b c. 600." 

Here the obvious design is to represent Jesus Christ as bor- 
rowing the golden rule, &c, from Confucius and Pythagoras. 
In the 16th number of the Messenger a writer says : 

"If I understand correctly the position of spiritualists, the theory 
of super-naturalism is precisely the .thing which they are aiming to 
overthrow." 

In accordance with this design, the following fling at the 
miracles of the Bible is inserted in the Shekinah, p. 218. 
Speaking of Pythagoras, the writer says : 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 89 

"Perceiving likewise an ox at Tarentum feeding in a pasture, and 
eating among other things green beans, he advised the herdsmen to tell 
the ox to abstain from the beans. The herdsmen, however, laughed at 
him, and said that he did not understand the language of oxen, but if 
Pythagoras did, it was in vain to advise him to speak to the ox, but fit 
that he himself should advise the animal to abstain from such food. 
Pythagoras therefore approaching the ear of the ox, and whispering in 
it for a long time, not only caused him then to refrain from beans, but 
it is said that he never after tasted them. Those who have a firm be- 
lief in the stories contained in the Hebrew Scriptures will easily receive 
this account, as it is much more credible that a being like Pythagoras 
should speak with intelligible influence to the ox, than that Balaam's 
ass should turn and rebuke the sinful prophet." 

The writer of the above, it will be seen, does not believe the 
" stories contained in the Hebrew Scriptures," but puts them 
down as far less " credible" than the stories he tells about 
Pythagoras. Indeed, it is the constant efforts of the " spirits," 
and of the self-styled " spiritualists," to either explain away or 
to ridicule all the miracles of the Bible. But to proceed with 
the creed of the " spirits :" 

VIII. The Bible is the ivork of disembodied human spirits, 
and not the Word of God. 

"The seers and prophets w T hose names are mentioned in the primitive 
history [the Bible] w T ere mediums. * * It was in this manner that the 
waitings of the Bible, w r hich have been properly termed the Scriptures, 
w r ere originated. * * * Therefore will the spirits assure the world 
that the Bible is not the direct and infallible Word of God. * * * 
The spirits would claim the authorship of these records as they were 
primarily given to the world." — "Spirits" through P. P. Ambler — 
Teacher, p. 46. 

"The Bible, when first written, was nothing more than a book writ- 
ten through mediums, as I am now writing through my medium. Its 
contents were not composed of all the books that are in it at present. 
Some of the Old Testament w r as written by men who had no more 
power than I had to preach the gospel before I had my conversion." — 
St. Paul, through Mr. Hoar, p. 9. 

Thus the Bible is degraded to a level with the infidel ghost- 
books, from which we are now making extracts. Read also the 
following, on the subject of inspiration : 

" Revelation is one of the natural gifts which the Divine Father be- 



9t> 



SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



stows upon his earthly children. There is nothing which is in the least 
supernatural in any of the revelations that have ever been given to 
man. But in all ages the influx of truth has visited the human mind 
in a mode as simple and natural as that in which the light flows from 
the sun, or the raindrops fall from the clouds." — Ambler's Messenger, 
No. 3. 

Mr. Finney's views, when "under spiritual influence," are thus 
set forth by Mr. Ambler : 

"Mr. Finney, in his lectures, passes high eulogiums upon the character 
and extraordinary powers of Christ, but denies the Trinity. He believes 
in a God of great controlling power; but denies a God of special prov- 
idences or partiality and vengeance: nor does he believe in the divine 
inspiration of the Bible," <fec. — Messenger. 

" IX. The Bible is one of the ivorst of books, full of error, 
and a source of profanity and corruption. 

"The influence and effects which have flowed from the authority of 
the Bible have been of the most deleterious character, tending to de- 
grade rather than elevate, to confine rather than expand, and to crush 
and to destroy rather than to ennoble and save." — Teacher, p. 44. 

In the " Spirit Unfoldings," written through W. Boynton, 
John Wesley is represented as saying : 

"The men who wrote the Bible were not always under full control 
of the spirit communicating, so that many errors crept into the Bible; 
besides, with interpolations and wrong translations, we have the truth 
greatly adulterated. * * * The Bible has more good teachings than 
any other work, and has more evil ; choose the good, discard the evil." 

In an address delivered in Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday, Novem- 
ber 7, 1852, by A. J. Davis, we have the following : 

"From the New Testament alone you may find the entire vocabulary 
of the profane man. And when any clergyman preaches against the 
use of profane language — a habit, like smoking and chewing, unfit for 
man — would it not be well for him to look somewhat into its origin? 
Let him show the people — no matter what they say — how children 
learn to swear; and where, from what source of corruption, the dis- 
gusting words are drawn." 

" From the New Testament alone you may find." Surely it 
must be a " seer" who can write with such perspicuity. But, 
muddy as he is, he manages to c y. v ?ey the idea that the New 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 91 

Testament is a " source of corruption/' and this is one of the 
obvious designs of all his writings and lectures. If there is 
such a being as an infidel on earth, A. J. Davis is one ; and yet 
he is looked up to by nearly all the " circles" in the land as 
the great pioneer and high-priest of the " new philosophy." 

The esteem in which Mr. Davis holds the Bible, may be in- 
ferred from the following editorial remarks, taken from the 
" Light from the Spirit World." 

"|j]^"We notice that the celebrated seer .of our time has recently 
appeared in the pulpit of the Rev. Theodore Parker, in the city of 
Boston. * * The seer's text for the occasion was 'All the world's a 
stage,' from which he unfolded his discourse, which is said to have pro- 
duced a profound impression upon his audience." 

Here we have a professed " seer" in the pulpit of a professed 
minister of Christ, pouring contempt upon divine revelation, on 
the holy Sabbath, by taking a text out of Shakspeare ! In 
perfect keeping with the spirit of their great leader, the infidel 
spiritists of Ohio held an anti-Bible convention, in which the 
most blasphemous resolutions were presented and discussed, 
and the spirit-papers published the proceedings, and rejoiced 
over the movement as one promising great good to their cause. 
In the same manner, a slur upon the Bible published in the 
New York Tribune is copied at once, both by Brittan and Am- 
bler, as a choice morsel for their readers. The following is Mr. 
Ambler's preface to the extract : 

"The Primitive History. — The book, which is esteemed sacred by 
the Christian world, is beginning to be regarded with a more searching 
scrutiny than is consistent with the claim of infallibility. When the 
veil of sectarian bigotry is removed from the mind, it appears that this 
book, though long worshiped as the embodiment of all truth, is not so 
altogether faultless and reliable as has been commonly supposed. The 
following statement of facts, which we copy from the Tribune, throws 
a slight shade on the primitive history." 

"A. W. Hoar, medium," represents the spirit of St. Paul as 
going through the Bible, and speaking of the different books on 
this wise : 

Genesis. — "About as true as any fictitious work that is now print 
ed," d. 10. 



92 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Exodus. — " As good a book as could be expected in that day." — Ibid. 

Leviticus. — "Not directly from God, as man supposes," p. 12. 

Numbers. — "Such an absurdity as that [the facts stated in chapter 
1st] ought to be cast into the lowest depth of the infernal regions," 
p. 13. 

Joshua. — "Almost the whole book is false." — Ibid. 

Judges. — "About the same as the others; and it needs no argument 
to show that it is void of inspiration," p. 14. 

Ruth. — "Without inspiration, the same as the others," p. 15. 

Samuel. — "A part of it is correct," p. 15. 

Kings. — "Multitudes of mistakes — not correct — no inspiration," pp. 
16, 11. 

Ezra. — "By a person bearing its name, without inspiration," p. 17. 

Job. — " Written through mediums — would have been correct, had it 
not been that man destroyed its purity," pp. 18, 19. 

Psalms. — "Written in the same way, and some of them are correct," 
p. 19. 

The rest of the books in the Old Testament are said to be 
"somewhat correct in the main" (p. 20) ; and in reference to 
tbe whole, this " spirit" of darkness says : " Let me say unto 
you, man ! at this day, in regard to the Old Testament, 
'mene, mene, tekel, upharsin,' " p. 21. 

In the same strain this " medium" passes on through the 
New Testament, exclaiming, as he passes from book to book, 
through the gospels, epistles, and Apocalypse, " not correct," 
" mistake," "fictitious," "contrary to the will of God !" &c. ; and 
as a climax, we have the following : 

"The Bible, as a book, represents God as a changeable Being, chang- 
ing so as to suit the different periods of earth. At one time it repre- 
sents Him as a savage monster, sending forth his word to men to slay 
one another; and at another time it represents Him as a merciful Be- 
ing, dealing out mercy to all the people of earth. At another time He 
sends them into a hell of fire and brimstone. 

"Such, man! are the principles the books you call the Bible are 
conveying to the inhabitants of the earth. horrible!" pp. 91-2. 

"The Old Testament, which Christ declared wrong and wicked, you 
are still calling the Word of God. * * * Although your angelic fathers, 
by the wisdom of God, are allowed to come unto you, and do nway 
with the wicked precepts of your Bible," <fec, pp. 93, 95. 

In a word, there is no one point on which the spiritists are 
more open and undisguised than in their contempt of the Word 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 93 

of God. There is not one in fifty of them that has any faith 
whatever in the Holy Scriptures ; and yet the very " spirits" 
who declare, as in the first quotation upon this point, that they 
indited the Bible, declare in the same book, as above cited, that 
it is one of the worst of books. 

X. There are no such beings as devils. 

"The imagination of evil spirits is an image, only belonging to the 
human mind while such mind is yet in an unenlightened or undevel- 
oped state," &e. — Spirit of J. V. Wilson — Love and Wisdom, p. 98. 

"I asked if there was any devil. Answer: 'No.' 'Are all spirits 
happy after death?' 'Yes, measurably.' 'What church is nearest 
right?' Answer: 'Universalist doctrine is nearest, right.' " — Telegraph t 
No. 3. 

"There are no bad spirits; that is, no devils or demons. Those 
spirits Ave have conversed with will not allow us to use the term." — 
Supernal Theology, p. 71. 

"The spirits utterly disclaim all truth in the imaginations of indi- 
viduals who believe in the doctrine of evil spirits." — Teacher, p. 116. 

XI. There is no such 'place as hell. 

"Hell, as I have said before, is no particular place." — Bible as a Book, 
p. 34. 

" God, in his wisdom and mercy to man, has ordered that all men 
shall at last be happy." — Ibid, p. 34. 

In the ninth number of the Messenger, the spirit of Dr. Em- 
monds is represented as saying : 

"I was one of the Old School, a strong, bold preacher of the doctrine 
of eternal punishment ; would that those sermons were buried in ob- 
livion! They are a curse to the world." 

Ou the twelfth page of Mr. Boynton's pamphlet, the spirit 
of Lorenzo Dow is made to say : 

" Hell and devil are the creatures of fancy in the first place, and in 
the latter are mere personifications of evil and misery, which are all 
found and experienced when in the rudimental sphere." 

Even Emanuel Swedenborg has something to retract upon 
this point : 

"Friends, I have long wished to correct my errors — the errors of my 
writings. This was one of its most prominent ones, this antagonism of 
heaven and hell, of God and Satan, of light and darkness, of life eter- 



94 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

nal and eternal death, which in contrast stands, but not in truth ; only 
in my former rudimental misconception." — Messenger, No. 9. 

Take also the following : 

"The passive find no eternal hell; the spirits rap out 'no eternal 
hell ;' and those spirits, from whom prejudiced mediums say they got 
their proof of an eternal hell, rap out that they are not sufficiently de- 
veloped or advanced to be reliable ; and the same spirits recommend 
Davis' Spiritual Intercourse to such mediums." — /. B. Wolff — Telegraph, 
No. 2. 

In another number of the Telegraph we find the following 
" communication :" 

"Who are you? (Answered alphabetically): ' Lawrence Corbett,* 
the infidel.' Are you in heaven ? Three raps then followed. Are you 
happy? 'Rap, rap, rap.' Were you ever punished for your sins on 
earth? 'Rap, rap, rap.' In what manner? It then spelled, 'By being 
debarred the pleasure of seeing God.' Is there any hell, such as is 
mentioned in the Bible ? * No.' " 

XII. There will be no resurrection of the dead. 

This is taught where the resurrection of Christ is denied, and 
by representing the spirit as progressing onward forever, with- 
out ever alluding to the resurrection of the body. The doc- 
trine of the resurrection finds no place in the "supernal 
theology." 

XIII. There will be no future day of judgment. 

After having described the orthodox belief upon this sub- 
ject, Mr. Boynton represents John Wesley as saying : 

* "Lawrence Cobbett" was an infidel, born in Manchester, England. 
This was the man who went to New Rochelle, N. Y., where the noto- 
rious "Tom Paine" was buried, dug up his bones in the night, and 
conveyed them to England, where he intended to have had them made 
up into buttons, to be worn by the infidels in a monster procession 
which he contemplated getting up in honor of Paine. But Cobbett 
dying suddenly, the bones of Paine were found among his bankrupt 
effects, and were sold as curiosities to the highest bidder. See "Fate 
of Infidelity " p. 75. 

The reader will please observe, however, that though this spirit "an- 
swered alphabetically," he spells his name "Lawrence Corbett," instead 
of " William Cobbett," as he used to while on earth. What is the mat- 
ter ? Has the "spirit" forgotten how to spell his own name ? 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 95 

"All this I unqualifiedly assert is false ; not a shadow of truth in the 
whole of it." See " Unfolding s." 

To the same effect are the teachings of the " spirits" through 
Mr. Hammond, of Rochester: 

"When will he judge the world? "When the world do wrong, and 
when they do right. * * I know of no end to his judgment," <fcc. — 
Pilgrimage, pp. 119, 120. 

"The day of judgment is every day with God, as long as the world 
exists." — Bible as a Booh, p. 75. 

XIV. Christianity is a cunningly devised fable ; an injury, 
rather than a blessing to mankind. 

"It is now proper to consider the inefficiency of the religion of the 
Church to renovate and reform the world. From a corrupt and pol- 
luting spring can flow no streams which will serve to impart life and 
vigor to the soil which it moistens ; and on the same general principle, 
there can proceed no saving or elevating influence from the systems of 
religious faith which are intrinsically rotten and polluted. For long 
centuries has the religion of the Church exerted its influence on the 
world; and down through the channels of human society have flowed 
the murky streams of death, which have proceeded from the fountain 
that has been established in the very heart of the world." — Spirits of 
the Sixth Circle — Teacher, p. 99. 

"In all the efforts of past centuries, this religion has been entirely 
incapable of promoting the true interests of the world. It has been 
unsuccessful in securing the reformation and refinement which it pro- 
fesses to have in view, and it has failed — signally failed — to create any 
deep and lasting effect which can be recognized as a blessing to hu- 
manity." — Ibid. 

The reader will please observe, that the "spirits" are not 
speaking of existing churches as such, in contrast with primi- 
tive Christianity, but of the religion of Christ as a whole, from 
first to last. And what infidel ever spoke out more decidedly 
than these " spirits ?" 

" The religion which the Church aims to inculcate is a religion of 
form and ceremonies, in which there is not sufficient vitality to keep 
the soul from death ; and the Church itself, being destitute of any ani- 
mating life, is a dead and rotten organization, which is ready to crum- 
ble and dissolve." — Teacher, p. 86. 

" The spirits have mourned that this has been the sad fate of those 
who have bowed before the altars of the Church, and they have seen 



98 SPIRIT- RAITING UNVEILED. 

that the religion which is here born and nourished is the productive 
source of all the degradation of the soul to which these have been sub- 
jected."— Ibid., p. 92. 

"The adherents of the religion of the Church have been debased 
and contracted in all their thoughts, feelings, and desires; and that 
they have been deprived from receiving those pure delights and exalted 
pleasures which are enjoyed alone by the free mind." — Ibid., p. 93. 

While at West Wins ted, Ct., not long* since, the writer heard 
a Mr. P. C. Turner, whom Mr. Brittan pronounces "one of the 
most devoted friends of the spiritual cause," ridicule the Chris- 
tian religion as " ihe Christian humbug." We use his own 
words ; and yet this is " one of the most devoted friends of the 
spiritual cause" in all Connecticut. 

XY. Ministers of the gospel are time -serving slaves, full of 
hypocrisy and corruption, and the foes of human progress. 

"The priests, of whom I have before distinctly spoken, can, in your 
present state, do you little good. They, also, are in bondage. Your 
rulers, dependent constantly on public favor, cannot utter that thought, 
which has come from God, down into their inmost hearts. They are 
slaves ; your rulers are slaves ; slaves are they to those on whom they 
are constantly dependent ; and they, together with your priests, would 
fasten fetters upon the people, and keep you, one and all, where you 
now are. They are unwilling to move onward, because all motion, all 
motion is unfavorable to their individual interests. They stand in the 
way of human progress. They are, they are its deadliest foes." — Mur- 
ray's Messages, p. 139. 

" I see you, your heads bowed down to the earth ; but it shall not 
always be so. A better day is soon to dawn upon you. It must come. 
Not suddenly, my young friend ; let not the inhabitants of your earth 
be disturbed. Important changes come gradually ; and there will be 
ample time, as I have before said, ample time for the old teachers to 
make arrangements for themselves. They will go out, and engage in 
other and useful avocations; and let them go." — Ibid., p. 128. 

"And then he who pompously — 0, he thinks, he thinks, of himself; 
that he is of great importance ! 0, he struts about on your earth, among 
the inhabitants thereof; and some of the people go down on their knees 
to him ! But the light, my young friend, shall come ; and he shall be 
stripped of that covering which now conceals him. 0, horror! 0, 
that inside! that inside! 'We see it. With emotions of pity, of pity, 
we look upon it! His covering shall be taken off, and he shall stand 
up as he is." — Ibid., p. 157 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 97 

To the same effect, Lorenzo Dow is represented as writing 
with the hand of Mr. Boynton : 

"All Christians, or professed Christians, are idolaters; they preach 
against idolatry, but they are paying divine homage to a created being. 
AH are not thus hypocritical; many are ignorant, but the priests, most 
of them, know better. "When I say priest, I mean the clergy of all 
sects; they are the worst class spirits have to deal with." — Unfolding s, 
p. 13. 

The feeling of the " spirits" towards the Christian ministry, 
is apparent from the course taken by the spirit-papers towards 
different clergymen. As it is the great object of the infidel 
leaders in the movement to destroy Christianity, root and 
branch, it is very important to their success that, as far as pos- 
sible, they destroy all confidence in ministers of the gospel. 
To this end, no opportunity for slandering the " priests" is 
allowed to pass unimproved. The Telegraph, especially, is 
famous for this diabolical work. Not only is the writer slan- 
dered in its vile columns from week to week, by the publication 
of the most unblushing falsehoods, but its wormwood and gall 
are poured out upon other ministers, and that, too, without the 
slightest provocation. 

In the forty-fifth number of the Telegraph, Mr. Brittan tries 
his hand upon the reputation of Dr.. Tyng, a well-known and 
excellent clergyman of this city. He represents the doctor as 
much annoyed by spirit-rapping in his house, and as saying in 
his pulpit that, " if this annoyance continued* to increase, he 
should be obliged to abandon his ministry." This libelous edi- 
torial has been copied by the spirit-paper, and extensively circu- 
lated ; and yet the whole story is a fabrication, with scarcely a 
word of truth in it. Speaking of this article, the Church 
Journal observes : 

" Our Philadelphia correspondent states that the papers in that city 
nave republished a ridiculous paragraph concerning Dr. Tyng's connec- 
tion with the rapping humbug, which originally appeared in a New 
Fork paper. Our correspondent is right in discrediting so absurd a 
itatement. "We have very good and direct authority for stating that 
She paragraph referred to contains about * as many lies as lines/ H 

5 



98 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Surely, Satan must be greatly delighted to hear gospel min- 
isters thus slandered and vilified, and especially by professed 
messages from the other world. It is no small compliment, 
however, to the ministry of the country, that even on the show- 
ing of the " spirits" themselves, the ministers of righteousness 
are " the worst class the spirits have to deal with." May the 
God of all grace keep his watchmen faithful, and make them 
more and more a bulwark against every type of infidelity, and 
every species of delusion. 

XVI. The churches of the land must be broken up, and our 
houses of worship forsaken. 

In the Telegraph, No. 8, we find the following : 

''This is the commencement of the millennium, and it will be estab- 
lished on the ruins of all churches. Sectarianism must come down 
before truth and love can reign among men. The clergy, instead of 
leading men to God, are barriers in their way." 

In Ambler's Messenger, No. 7, we have the following : 

"The New Theology. — It cannot escape the observation of any in- 
dividual, who will carefully note the movements and signs of the times, 
that there is a new system of theological teaching arising in the world 
to take the place of the old and threadbare doctrines which have con- 
stituted the essence of popular religion. * * * Yet, though the 
theology which has been long cherished and defended by the Church is 
fast growing old, and is even now ready to vanish away, there exists 
an urgent necessity on the part of the true reformer to make his arm 
strong for its final overthrow and extinction." 

In the same paper, it is said that " theologians and priests 
have reason to fear that their craft is in danger, and are ear- 
nestly inquiring : Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" So, 
in the Telegraph: "The priests begin to tremble at our pro- 
gress, and to avoid the effect of our influence, have got up 
' union meetings/ " &c. Ballou, Hammond, and Post, and in- 
deed all the ghost-book writers, are of one accord, and unite 
in the common cry of "Down with the churches /" 

"The true worshiper would scorn it. He would spurn you from 
him, should you come to him, and offer him gold and silver to engage 
in the praises of God. And the man of black stands there with solemn 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 99 

face, and lengthened visage, and passes an hour, and goes away. Such, 
you call worship. It will pass away." — Ambler's Teacher, p. 130. 

"The Church has lost its potency; it is no longer able to war suc- 
cessfully with reason, or suppress the rising and invincible spirit of in- 
vestigation. Sectarianism and bigotry may retard the progress of truth 
for a season, but its light they can never extinguish" — Telegraph. 

"And may every true man, every reformer, join his hand, and heart, 
and power, in trying to elevate humanity, and to break up those huge 
and monstrous institutions, which only tend to darken his mind, to stifle 
the outgushings of his own nature, and to scatter death and destruction 
broadcast in the land." — Messenger. 

Here the mask is fairly thrown off, and the design of these in- 
fidels to "break up" the churches of the land is openly avowed. 
But hear Mr. Ambler still further : 

"Mr. Finney and myself have delivered several lectures in this city, 
which have been exceedingly well attended. Thus far, our lectures 
have been devoted chiefly to the pulling down of strongholds, and the 
dispelling of theological darkness from the minds of the people. It is 
clearly seen by spirits, that the time has now come when an open and 
fearless exposure of mythological errors is essential to the reformation 
which they are seeking to accomplish. Hence they will cause the me- 
diums, whom they control, to speak plainly on theological questions. 
The ground which has been falsely deemed too sacred for mortal feet 
to tread, shall be examined by the light of reason ; and the creeds and 
dogmas which are unable to endure the light, shall be dissolved thereby, 
and sink back into their native darkness." — Messenger. 

In a " vision," written by Judge Edmonds, headed "Spare 
the Clergy," and published in the Telegraph, the people are 
represented as leaving their churches and ministers, and going 
off in droves after the spirit-rappers ; and at length the minis- 
ter also leaves the house of God, and follows his people into 
the "new philosophy." The judge has recently written a let- 
ter, in which he states that before he left for the South, for the 
benefit of his health (mental, as well as physical, we hope), he 
had terrible doubts as to the spiritual origin of his " visions." 
Like Mr. Harshman, he ought to have applied to A. J. Davis, 
to have settled the question for him whether he wrote from his 
own resources, or was assisted by some foreign " spirit." It is 
by no means strange that the judge should have some misgivings 



100 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

upon this point ; and if he does not lose his balance, and be- 
come a maniac before he gets through with his " visions," it 
will be next to a miracle. 

XVII. All civil governments and laws are wrong, and ought 
to be abolished. 

Upon this subject, the following is alleged to have been given 
by the spirit of George Washington, through the medium of 
Mr. Harshman : 

"But 0, how different is the case with those who have been illumin- 
ated from the spirit world! they need no arbitrary laws of human 
enactments to control their actions^ — no. They need no unenlightened 
legislative body, to meet in idleness and consume their earnings; to 
enact laws the most arbitrary and corrupt, to degrade and enslave suf- 
fering humanity. Those minds have no necessity for any human gov- 
ernment whatever, they have been elevated by spiritual illumination 
above those selfish and terrestrial things ; they need not the meeting of 
legislative bodies, for they are governed by internal and spiritual laws 
which are infinite in their being — laws of love, which govern the spirit 
of man in infinite wisdom and universal harmony." — Love and Wisdom, 
p. 180. 

"Thus we desire to communicate to the nation that forms the front 
of spiritual progression, that your government is corrupt and arbitrary, 
and is not adapted to the government of spiritual men in the approach- 
ing era. There was a time when your government was adapted to the 
then present state of man's development, but that time is now going by. 
If you would introduce harmony into your nation, you must dispense 
with all arbitrary laws," <fcc. — Ibid., p. 182. 

"For as fast as man advances in spiritual wisdom by the laws of de- 
velopment and progression, so fast will he dispense with the selfish 
iaws and customs of human construction, for they will become unfit for 
his government ; he will see, by degrees, their unfitness and entire in- 
adaptation to his more fully developed nature." — Ibid., p. 192. 

" The nation that is enabled to progress in this spiritual light, and 
under such spiritual influence, will be able to psychologize and reform 
the whole world." — Ibid., p. 184. 

XVIII. The law of the Sabbath is of no binding force, and 
its observance ought to be disregarded. 

This follows from the rejection of the Bible as the rule of 
duty ; and the "mediums" and "seers" pay no more regard to 
the Sabbath than to any other day. Many " circles" devote it 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 101 

to rapping, dancing, and card-playing ; and throughout their 
writing, from first to last, there is not the least reference to its 
sanctity. On the other hand, St. Paul is made to say, through 
"A. W. Hoar, medium," that "Christ had all days alike with 
him * * had no set time to work," &c, p. 43. I know not a 
man or woman who is prominent in this movement, who does 
not disregard the claims of the Christian Sabbath. 

o 

XIX. The marriage institution is wrong, and ought to be 
abolisjied. 

The following is from the " Light from the Spirit World." 

" Marriage is a law of heaven ; the marriage of the spirit is the only 
marriage to abide in any condition. The marriage institution of man 
is wrong, and must be annulled ere the race is redeemed." 

In the first volume of the Shekinah, p. 412, Mr. Erittan 
says : 

"To change the entire structure of society is not the work of a day ; 
nor can the transition be aceomplished without a suitable preparation 
of the social elements. Those who aim at the ultimatum, without the 
appropriate intermediate steps," &c. 

Here Mr. B. does not disguise the fact, that he and his asso- 
ciate necromancers design to change " the whole structure of 
society." This is the ultimatum ; and he exhorts his deluded 
followers to take the " intermediate steps" to bring it to pass. 
He is now laboring most industriously to prepare " the social 
elements" for the much desired consummation. We trust, how- 
ever, that if Mr. B. ever sees the "marriage institution of man 
annulled," he will have to go to the Great Salt Lake to see it; 
and as this feature of the " new philosophy" is now in vigorous 
operation there among the Mormons, he may perhaps reach his 
"ultimatum," without "changing the entire structure of so- 
ciety." 

The creed of the "spirits" on the subject of marriage is 
clearly set forth in the Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine, &c, by 
" Rev. C. Hammond." On page 15, Paine is made to describe 
his own death. As he is dying, the spirit of a lady appears to 
him — one whom he had " loved in his youth," but who was 



102 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

dead — and makes herself known. He says : — " We were united. 
Nothing but the form of marriage was wanting to make us one 
in the eyes of the world. We were married. I loved her," 
&c. And this lady is his " companion'' in all his pilgrimage 
through the spheres. 

Now let it be observed — 

1. That the doctrine taught is that they were married, al- 
though no "form of marriage" had been observed. 

2. Although they had never been married, this lady is his 
" companion" in all his travels, in preference to his first wife, 
who had been dead several years ; his second wife, who had 
left him ; and the woman with whom he was living in fornica- 
tion at the time of his death. Thus the "marriage institution 
of man," as it is called, is set aside by the " spirits," as of no 
account whatever. 

The following extract will throw some light upon the life and 
death of the hero of the " Pilgrimage :" 

" His first wife is said to have died of ill usage. His second was ren- 
dered so miserable by neglect and unkindness, that they separated by 
mutual agreement. His third coinpanion — not his wife — was the victim 
of his seduction, while he lived upon the hospitality of her husband. 
Holding a place in the excise of England, he was dismissed for irregu- 
larity ; restored, and dismissed again for fraud, without recovery. Un- 
able to get employment where he was known, he came to this country, 
commenced politician, and pretended some faith in Christianity. Con- 
gress gave him an office, from which, being soon found guilty of a 
breach of trust, he was expelled with disgrace. The French revolution 
allured him to France. Habits of intoxication made him a disagreeable 
inmate in the house of the American minister, where, out of compas- 
sion, he had been received as a guest. During all this time, his life was 
a compound of ingratitude and perfidy, of hypocrisy and avarice, of 
lewdness and adultery. In June, 1809, the poor creature died in this 
country. The lady in whose family he lived relates that 'he was daily 
drunk, and in his few moments of soberness was quarreling with her, 
and disturbing the peace of her family.' At that time 'he was de- 
liberately and disgustingly filthy. He had an old colored woman for 
his servant, as drunken as her master. He accused her of stealing his 
rum ; she retaliated, accusing him of being an old drunkard himself/ 
This is the character of the man who could write against the Bible." 

The doctrine of the " new philosophy" is, that souls pre-exist 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 103 

before they appear in this world ; and that they are mated off 
before they start for this sublunary sphere, just as they should 
be mated here. But they seldom get together as they should 
on earth. 

"All mankind were created male and female, in pairs, perfectly 
mated. The male generally comes upon the earth first, and is older, by 
few or many years (the difference being generally from five to twenty 
years) ; and they are generally located near each other, so that, if cir- 
cumstances be favorable, they can meet and be united. But the 
chances are much against the union, as it is only about once in a hun- 
dred and fifty times that they meet in marriage on earth. Spirits pre- 
tend that they can ascertain who on earth are natural partners, and 
will sometimes inform them. Sometimes, however, they refuse, alleging 
that the person asking would be made unhappy by the knowledge. 
They perceive sometimes that one of the natural partners has become 
refined and pure, while the other is degraded in vice ; and thus they 
think it best to conceal from us the fact." — Warren's Supernal Theology, 
pp. 7 9-80. 

But the "spirits" and spiritists do not always think best to 
"conceal" the "fact." In several cases, they have informed 
men and women that they had not their "natural partners," 
and had better separate and be differently married ; and in 
several instances that have come to my knowledge, the " new 
philosophy" has been carried into practical effect. 

In one case, the wife of a man who was in California was in- 
formed by the " spirits" that her husband was dead, and that 
she must marry a certain young man. 

"The next we hear from this misguided sister is, that she had been 
instructed by the spirits (i. e. they used her hand to write it out) tlaat 
she must take a certain young man, named , for her spiritual hus- 
band, and they (the spirits) would marry them ; and, strange and in- 
credible as it may seem, the simple youth was seduced into the ludi- 
crous farce of a "spiritual marriage" with another man's lawful wife. 
A friend of hers, at whose house she then found a welcome home, chari- 
tably supposed that such strange conduct was induced by a fit of par- 
tial and temporary insanity, and earnestly, though ineffectually, endea- 
vored to save her from the disgrace consequent upon a public expo- 
sure; and when it was found that he would give no sanction to fhe 
transaction by recognizing such a marriage (performed, as was pre- 
tended by the parties, by the spirit of her mother talking off through 



104 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

another medium the marriage ceremony), and feeling no disposition, as 
he expressed it, to turn his house into a spirit brothel for their accom- 
modation, they were instructed, as they claimed, by the spirits to leave, 
and directed where to go, to 'escape such bondage and oppression.' 
They obeyed, and found a cordial welcome in a family of believers 
(who, we will charitably presume, were about as insane or deluded as 
herself), where they were permitted to spend their 'spirit honeymoon' 
unmolested." — New York Observer, Oct. 14, 1852. 

A similar case was reported to have occurred near Phila- 
delphia, in the fall of 1852 ; and we have only to carry out the 
principles of the self-styled " spiritualists, " to break up every 
family in the land. 

Such are the religious views inculcated by the " spirits." 
From the " Great Harmonia" of Davis, down to the last ghost- 
book written, their " communications" are filled with the most 
loathsome infidelity. No creation — no depravity — no conver- 
sion — -no divine Redeemer — no atonement for sin — no miracles 
— no Word of God — the Bible a source of corruption — no 
devils — no hell — no resurrection — no day of judgment — Chris- 
tianity a curse — ministers hypocrites — down with the churches 
— down with all civil governments — down with the Sabbath — 
down with the marriage institution, and down with every thing 
that is lovely, and fair, and of good report ! Such, in brief, is 
the creed of the "spiritualists" — a creed that embodies more 
elements of ruin than were ever before combined under any one 
system. Only let these views prevail, and they not only destroy 
every thing fair in religion and morals, but they upheave at 
once all the foundations of society ; abolish the relations of hus- 
band and wife ; and parents and children ; annihilate all law ; 
subvert all order ; strike down all justice and right ; and fill the 
land with anarchy, corruption, and bloodshed. 

In this one system is blended more or less of Unitarianism, 
Universalism, Mormonism, Deism, Fanny Wright-ism, and 
Atheism ; and at every point, and from first to last, it is dia- 
metrically opposed to all revealed religion, and to the truth as 
it is in Jesus Christ. Such being the fact, it is very natural to 
inquire as to the religious sentiments of the " mediums," and 
other leader? of the movement. For if it shall be found, on in- 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 105 

quiry, that the spirit creed is composed of the views previously 
held by the mediums ; and that the leaders of this " spiritual" 
onset against Christ and his kingdom are a company of super- 
annuated Universalist preachers and infidels ; there will be strong 
reason to suspect that the spirit messages all originate with 
themselves; and that they have seized upon this delusion as the 
means of filling the land with infidel books and papers. Let 
us inquire, then, 

Who are the Mediums ? 

That there have been instances in which well-meaning and 
Christian people have been led into this spirit delusion, I am 
not disposed to deny ; but nearly all the mediums, and all the 
writers of ghost-books, and editors and publishers of spirit 
papers, so far as I can ascertain, are infidels, or at least Univer- 
salists. 

A. J. Davis, author of the " Great Harmonia," &c, is at 
best a Deist ; and if he logically follows out his " development" 
theory, he will never stop short of atheism. For years he 
practised upon the credulity of the people in New York city 
and elsewhere as a " clairvoyant." For five dollars he would 
look through the body of an invalid, describe the disease, and 
prescribe a remedy. But this method of making money was 
too slow for the " seer," and he has been, for the last year or 
two, wholly absorbed in the "new philosophy." 

Charles Hammond, medium, author of " The Pilgrimage of 
Thomas Paine," &c, was a Universalist preacher for some 
years ; but getting rather a poor support in that line of business 
(as I learn from a correspondent in Rochester), he left his 
ministry, and went to writing ghost-books. I believe he has 
three different works already in the market. 

Isaac Post, medium, author of "Voices from the Spirit 
World," is a Hicksite Quaker, which is only another name for 
a skeptic, and an enemy of all true religion. 

S. B. Brittan, editor of the " Telegraph" and " Shekinah," 
was for a time a Universalist preacher in Bridgeport, Ct. ; but 
became so "liberal," as he told me himself, that the Univer- 

5* 



106 SPIRIT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 

salists no longer invited him to their pulpits. He then went 
into the "rapping" business, and seems to find a congenial em- 
ployment in editing a ghost paper, and delivering infidel lec- 
tures, wherever he can get paid for them. 

Adin Ballon, medium, author of another "spirit" book, was 
first a Universalist preacher, and now preaches for a Fourierite 
community in the town of Milford, Mass. His book shows 
that he is now some decrees bevond common Universalism. 

R. P. Ambler, medium, author of the " Spiritual Teacher," 
is an out and out Deist — an open and avowed enemy of the 
Bible, and of the religion of Christ. 

Charles Partridge, joint publisher with Brittan of the " Tele- 
graph" and " Shekinah," is a Universalist. 

John M. Spear, medium, author of " Messages from the 
Superior State," by the ghost of old John Murray, " the father 
of American Universalism," is also a Universalist preacher. 

S. C. Hewitt, editor and publisher of the " New Era," is a 
Universalist. 

Jacob Harshman, medium, author of " Love and Wisdom 
from the Spirit World," has for years been regarded as a skep- 
tic by those who have known him best, and has now shown 
himself to be a Universalist at least, if not a Deist. 

W. Boynton, medium, author of " Spirit Unfoldings," is a 
Universalist. 

Alfred W. Hoar, medium, author of " The Bible as a Book," 
&c, is an undisguised Deist ; and the low and gross infidelity 
of his book, put forth in the name of St. Paul, more nearly 
resembles Paine's " Age of Reason" than any thing I have ever 
before met with. 

Mr Winchester, editor of the " Mountain Cove Journal," is 
a Universalist. And so on to the end of the chapter. 

And let the inquiry be made respecting the religious views 
of any " circle" in the country, and it will be found to be com- 
posed, to a great extent, of Universalists, Deists, and Atheists, 
and scarcely ever to include a sincere praying Bible Christian. 
These are facts that cannot be denied. They are seen and read 
of all men. 



THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRITS. 107 

A few months since, the writer took occasion to speak against 
the spirit-rapping delusion at a camp-meeting near Oswego, 
N. Y. ; whereupon a certain Mr. Tuttle, Universalist preacher 
at Fulton, N. Y., took up for the "rappers" with great zeal, 
and even issued a pamphlet, in part to vindicate their cause. 
This shows the sympathy between the two systems, so far as 
Mr. T. is concerned ; but he is so small a light even among his 
own people, that I must not hold them accountable for his acts. 
Indeed, it would be a nice question to decide whether J. H. 
Tuttle has intellect and conscience enough to make out a fair 
case of moral accountability. And in regard to the other lead- 
ing ghostmongers named above, I have no wish to afflict the 
Universalists by stating that these men were once with them ; 
but I felt bound to state the truth, let the reproach rest where 
it may. 

Now let the reader put all these circumstances together : — 
1st, the leaders and chief operators in this whole movement are 
infidels ; and, 2d, the communications they profess to have re- 
ceived from the spirit world, and which they are publishing as 
revelations from the unseen state, are the very echo of their 
own infidelity, from first to last. Now which is most probable 
— that the dead have come back, contrary to the express teach- 
ings of the Scriptures, and selected a company of broken-down 
Universalist preachers through whom to wage war upon the 
Bible, upon Christ and his religion, and upon every thing 
sacred, both civil and religious ; or that these infidel teachers 
have seized upon " spirit-rapping" as the means of filling the 
land with their pernicious doctrines ? This last is the simple 
fact in the case. The books, professedly written by the " spir- 
its," are, in all cases, the productions of the " medium ;" and 
under the idea that they are " spirit revelations," many are in- 
duced to buy them, out of curiosity ; and thus the land is being 
filled with infidel publications. 

In no instance, perhaps, is this deception more palpable, than 
in the first book issued by Spear <fe Hewitt, of Boston. It is en- 
titled "Messages from the Superior State; communicated 
by John Murray," &c» The book contains 167 pages, 101 of 



108 SPIRIT- RAPPING UNVEILED. 

which are called an introduction, and consist mainly of the " Life 
of John Murray." Then follow the alleged " messages" of the 
ghost of this old Universalist. But the trick succeeds ; and that 
most pernicious book — the " Life of Murray" — with a new title, 
and a few " messages" attached, is having quite a run again. 
Let the people beware. 



CHAPTER X. 

LITERATURE OF THE SPIRITS. 

Spirits alone responsible — Mediums in the fog — Not to be relied upon — 
What have they revealed ? — Spirit orthography — " George Washington's" 
spelling — Mr. Brittan correcting John Wesley's communication — A sub- 
lime production — Spirit poetry, from Franklin and Washington — Spirits 
forgetting how to spell their own names — Palpable forgeries — Spirit auto- 
graphs—Spirit Hebrew — Translation by Professor Vail. 

It was shown in the last chapter that the " writing me- 
diums," and other leading characters of the "new philosophy," 
are mostly skeptics ; and that the " spirit revelations" writ- 
ten by them (professedly by the spirits of the dead) are 
full of the most disgusting infidelity. Of the thirty-five or 
forty different books issued under these false colors, I know 
not of one that is not well-nigh a match for Paine's Age of 
Heason* and some of them even more loathsome than that 
horrible production. In this fact, then— the perfect harmony 
between the "messages" and the mediums, through whom they 
profess to have been given, in making war upon the Bible and the 
Christian religion — we have strong proof that the whole thing- 
is a deception ; that these " writing-mediums" have simply 
availed themselves of the "spirit" delusion to palm off their 
infidelity upon the public. 

In the present chapter, I shall adduce further proof that, in 



* Mr. Harvey's "Defense" does not profess to be a book of "dia 
closures." 



LITERATURE OF THE SPIRTIS. 109 

all cases, the pretended " spirit messages" are the productions 
of the " mediums" themselves. 

"spirit" literature. 

1. It must be borne in mind that, upon their own showing, 
the mediums are in no way responsible for the ideas conveyed, 
or for the words or letters written by their hands. To prevent 
all interference on the part of the " seers," the spirits invariably 
paralyze their hands before they write with them. 

2. In several instances, the mediums have admitted that they 
themselves were at a loss to determine whether these messages 
were dictated or written by disembodied spirits, or were the 
simple productions of their own brains. Mr. Harshman applied 
to Davis to help him to settle the question. In a letter recently 
written from Central America by Judge Edmonds, he admits 
that while here he had most distressing doubts as to the spirit- 
ual origin of his " visions," published in the Shekinah and else- 
where. The "spirits" themselves state that there is a great 
uncertainty as to the true origin of the communications. 

"Mediums, too often, are too impatient to get all their exciting ques- 
tions answered, and we spirits do our work in regular order, under the 
government of regular laws, and this mode of operation becomes too 
tedious for some mediums, they become impatient, and then they go to 
work and answer their own questions, and. these questions will gener- 
ally be answered, as far as a knowledge in regard to them is stored up 
in the mind of such medium, or in those persons that have control of 
such medium's mind." — Love and Wisdom, p. 24. 

"If mediims would be patient, and wait until we give them commu- 
nications, then all would go right; but sometimes they will make them- 
selves communications." — Ibid., p. 26. 

"Under these influences, they become impatient with the spirits, who 
do our work by immutable laws. And under snch a state of excite- 
ment, they respond to their own questions, by a law which they do not 
understand, and consequently mistake it for a spiritual operation." — 
Ibid, p. 28. 

"Most of the communications here through mediums, I am disposed 
to believe are unreliable." — Mountain Cove Journal, No. 6. 

"There is scarcely a medium for spiritual communications in the 
United States of long experience who is confident that the spirits who 
communicate are the individuals whom they purport to be." — Ibid., No. 8 



110 



SPIIHT-HAPPING UNVEILED. 



And if the mediums themselves admit, in their sober mo- 
ments, that they are not sure but they originated the " mes- 
sages" themselves, how can they expect others to believe that 
foreign spirits are the real authors of these productions. 

3. There is not the first idea in any one of the forty ghost- 
books, now before the public, that is a hair's breadth above the 
intellects of the mediums, respectively, by whom they have 
been written. They are shrewd and artful, or low and silly, 
just as the medium happens to be. 

4. However many different " spirits" may communicate 
through a medium, the style and general characteristics of the 
messages are the same in all cases. In Harshman's book, the 
messages of J. V. Wilson, Benj. Franklin, George Washington, 
and Sir Astley Cooper, are all in the same style. The word 
" organism" occurs at almost every turn in each, and the com- 
position and orthography are uniform, and horrid. Take the 
following as specimens : 





"spirit" orthography 




Mortals. 


"Spirits? 


Mortals. 


"Spirits." 


Spirit, 


S per it. 


Existence, 


Existance. 


Essence, 


Essance. 


Control, 


Controal. 


Different, 


Differ ant. 


Erroneous, 


Arronious. 


Germ, 


Germe. 


Cruelty, 


Crualty. 


Need, 


Nead. 


Gorgeous, 


Gargeous. 


Influence, 


Influance. 


Horror, 


Horrow. 


Parents, 


Parants. 


Prevail, 


Prevale. 


Beauties, 


Beauty s. 


Supremely, 


Supremly. 


Origin, 


Oragin. 


Ignorance, 


Ignorence. 


Capacity, 


Capasity. 


Absorb, 


Absorbe. 


Gone, 


Gon. 


Corresponding 


f, Corrisponding. 


Anticipated, 


Antisipated. 


Perpetual, 


Parpetual. 


Pervades, 


Purvades. 


Positive, 


Pasitive. 


Greater, 


Grater. 


1 Practice, 


Practise. 


Characters, 


Characters. 


| Modeled, 


Mocdled, <fcc. 



This spelling, it must be remembered, is not by ignorant 
spirits, but by such men as Sir Astley Cooper and George 
Washington; and even "Benjamin Franklin, printer!" 

The folio wing communication was obtained of Mr. L, Bedell, 



A SPIRIT COMMUNICATION. Ill 

of Constantine, Mich., and is printed precisely as it came from 
the medium ; orthography, capitals, punctuation, and all.* 

"A SPIRIT COMMUNICATION." 

"I am hapy to see so meny here to nigh for purpass that shoudd in- 
gage the attention of All serious Thinkers, Som Say that we are not 
Spirits, and they will not investigate the mater to prove what we are, 
but stand afar off and Cry out to all others to keep away two. Now 
these showd be made to Searc into the mater, and in God's good tim 
will, we have often told you to believe in us and the Bible for we do 
not ask you to believe in eny thing else, As the people her hove but just 
begun to meet in numbers to write and talk of us and for us, I will 
only say that you are ingaged in A very Good cause, and should be firm 
in what you say. If ther eny here that do not believe what we Say, 
they must look on and be convinced, but you must not trifle with us 
for we are no triflers. we meny times make mistakes and so we are 
called liars, but this is owing to our neglect of the records that are 
given us, and also to evel spirits, but we will try to be more careful or 
correct after we have becom more use to writing for our Friends. 

" George Washington." 

Another communication received the same evening, and 
signed " William Bedell, father to L. Bedell," has the same or- 
thography as the above ; and shows conclusively that " George 
Washington" and " William Bedell" both spell exactly alike, 
and both stand much in need of Webster's Dictionary, or 
Saunder's Spelling Book. 

The fact that, notwithstanding the mediums say they have 
nothing to do with the movements of the pens while the 
" spirits" are writing, the communications are all in the me- 
dium's style and orthography, is proof positive that they and 
they alone are the "spirits." An ignorant medium cannot coun- 
terfeit good spelling ; and here the deceivers are caught. 

In the report of the " New York Conference," Dec. 25, 

* When we saw Mr. Bedell, he was complaining of Messrs. Partridge 
and Brittan for refusing to print his messages ; and alleged that they 
were reiected because in some of them it was said that there is a heli 
beyond the grave, and that baptism by immersion is the only correct 
mode. 



112 SPIRIT RAPPING UNVEILED. 

1852, it is said of a certain Mr. Willets of Rochester, " One 
fact he is unable to explain. The medium is a poor speller. 
His father spelled well. Yet, notwithstanding the evidence of 
its being from his father was undoubted, the spelling would be 
that of the medium." See Telegraph. But this one fact is the 
best possible evidence, under the circumstances, that the 
" medium," who is a poor speller, is the real " spirit" com- 
municating. 

CORRECTING THE SPIRITS. 

5. So little confidence have the rapologists editors in the 
ghostly origin of these communications, that they do not 
scruple to alter, correct, or reject them at pleasure, when sent to 
them for publication. The two copies of Mr. Wesley's message 
through Mr. Boynton, one published in pamphlet form, and 
the other in the columns of the " Telegraph," are entirely 
different ; and Mr. Brittan admitted to me that he made the 
alterations himself ;* and that he was in the habit of correct- 
ing spirit communications, when they did not come up to his 
standard of taste, as to what spirit messages should be. Only 
think of S. B. Brittan correcting the writings of the spirit of 
John Wesley ! 

Even, then, upon his own admissions, so far as corrections 
have been made in the so-called spirit communications pub- 
lished in the " Telegraph" and " Shekinah," they are messages 
from Mr. Brittan, and not from " the spirits." 

sublime productions. 

G. The following very sublime passages are taken from the 
" Telegraph," No. 6. As they passed the editorial ordeal, 
they have of course been corrected, if they needed it, and now 
fully comport with the taste of the editor. 

* I am informed that this liberty taken with " Mr. Wesley" by " Prof. 
Brittan," was not very well received by Mr. Boynton, the "seer," 
through whom Mr. Wesley wrote ; and that the two seers are now 
rather at arms length. 



" spirit" poetry. 115 

"my name. 

c * To-day, tl 3 angels have told me that I was known in the spirit- 
land by the name of Love! O holy name ! O blessed word ! The 
sacred name of the All-Father himself; and therefore worthy to be my 
name, so I were only worthy to wear it! For like God, like man; 
like father, like child. God a Love, and I a Love, too. He the great 
Love, and I a little Love from Him ! He the eternal Love of the eter- 
nal universe, and I a young Love but yesterday unfolded from His 
bosom ! He the creating Love, and I the love created ! We two thus 
infinitely alike in degree, and yet in nature but one, for both of us 
Loves!" 

In another number of the same paper we have the following, 
that purports to have been received by Mr. Partridge, publisher 
of the " Telegraph," &e. : 

" I have told you that I want goin to leve you. Now Charles Part- 
ridge I have cride matches for you many a day, and I luve you for you 
are onest, and I want you to hear my story. I am in a lone sphere ; I 
have no friends here to teach me how to spell ; then pity me wile I tell 
— My sorrow ways me down to earth — my sole is much deprest for all 
I luved are in another sphere — The world was cold to me — My children 
crid for bred — Nothing could make me steel, but my troubles turned 
me sad and in the forgetful dram I laughfed and wild away my time 
until to late — I returned to my poor home and all was gone — I never 
see them more in live. My God ! pity me, and help me to progress so 
that I can sometime see them in a brighter sphere. 

" Jack Waters." 

Mr. Partridge is a matchmaker, as well as a publisher of 
ghost books and papers ; and " Jack Waters" used to peddle his 
matches in the streets of New York. Hence the remark, " I 
have cride matches for you many a day." So the "spirits" 
help Mr. Partridge to advertise his match business in the most 
" spiritual" manner. 

a spirit" poetry. 

7. In the second number of the " Messenger" Mr. Ambler 
has a poem, respecting which he remarks : 

" The poem in the present number, entitled ' The Angel -Land/ was 
spoken, line for line, to the inner sense of the editor, and purported to 
be given by Mary, Queen of Scots." 



114 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

The poem begins as follows : 

" List, mortal ears, the harmonies of heaven ! 
Let earthly harps be silent and unstrung, 
While to the enrapt sense those sounds are given, 
Which through the spheres celestial rung," <kc. 

And such a string of doggerel as Mr. A. gets off, and charges 
upon the poor " Queen," we have seldom seen. 

The " Mountain Cove Journal," No. 3, contains a spirit poem, 
one verse of which runs thus : 

"Like unto a globe 
That floateth in the atmosphere, 
The Orb that encompasseth creation 
Revolveth in the glory 
Of His throne." 

The " Messenger," No. 4, contains a poem, entitled " The 
Spirit Home; written by spiritual impression," and prefaced by 
the following note : 

"The following lines were written on the 10th of April, 1852, by a 

servant girl, thirteen years of age, in the family of , Charlestown, 

Mass. The fact must be stated, that the girl could neither write nor 
read one word previous to this occasion ; and although she wrote these 
lines legibly under the spiritual impression, she was unable to read 
them when written." 

Then follows the poem : 

" There is a region lovelier far 

Than sages know, or poet's sing: 
Brighter than summer's beauties are, 
And softer than the tints of spring," <fce. 

Now if the reader will turn to the " Psalmist" — a collection 
of hymns published by Gould, Lincoln, & Co., Boston, and 
used by the Baptist Church — they will find this hymn, No. 
1174, and credited to Tucker. 

The prose communications from B. Franklin and George 
Washington, through Mr. Harshman, are accompanied by por- 
traits of their respective spirit authors, with a specimen of 



"spirits" forgetting their own names. 115 

spirit poetiy under each portrait. The following is under the 
likeness of Franklin : 

"The likeness of this portrait is to represent 
The likeness of man when he dwelt here below, 
But the likeness of the spirit you would like to know, 
And this would be no more than I would like to show, 
But the mind is not prepared the likeness for to see, 
Of spirits from the angels' home as bright as we.- — B. Fkanklin." 

Love and Wisdom, p. 130. 

Under the portrait of Washington we read as follows : 

" When the likeness of this portrait you see, 
Remember that it is to represent the likeness of me ; 
But the spirit in its brightness you cannot see, 
For it now far above the brightness of thee. — G. Washington." 

Ibid., p. 160. 

It is somewhat remarkable that two " spiri-ts" as different as 
those of Washington and Franklin should both speak of " the 
likeness of this portrait/' as in the first lines ; and some may be 
at a loss to know what the likeness of a portrait is. Still, we 
must not doubt, as Mr. Harshman says he wrote by " spiritual 
impression." 

"spirits" forgetting their own names. 

8. In Mr. Post's " Voices from the Spirit World," there are 
several instances in which the " spirits" seem to have forgotten 
how to spell their own names. I will quote a few specimens, 
giving first their former names, as mortals, and the signatures 
attributed to them by Mr. Post, as "spirits :" 

Mortals. 
Roger Sherman. 
D. Rittenhouse. 
Nat. Greene. 
Alex. Hamilton. 
Baron De Steuben. 
Cotton Mather. 



Rodger Sherman, page 183. 
D. Krittenhouse, " 193. 
Nat. Green, " 191. 

Alex. Hamiltin, " 192. 
Barron De Stuben, " 199. 
Colton Mathew, " 242. 



Now the only rational explanation of these mistakes is, that 
Mr. Post, who wrote the communications, and put these names 



116 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

to them, knew the names by the ear, but did not know how 
they were spelled. Hence the incorrect signatures, and the 
demonstration that Mr. Post, and not the spirits of the dead, 
wrote all the signatures. Surely, a man who attempts to forge 
another's name should be careful to ascertain how that name is 
spelled ; as a mistake in the orthography will expose the forgery. 
It is perfectly certain, that in every case where the names of 
deceased persons have been appended to communications, 
whether for publication or otherwise, it has been done by the 
mediums themselves. And this is what I call forgery, and of 
the very worst kind. It is forgery to the injury of the living 
and the dead ; and that, too, in relation to matters of the high- 
est possible moment. Think of those men of God who have 
lived and preached and written to extend the Redeemer's king- 
dom. By their piet}^, and zeal, and knowledge, and abundant 
labors, they have acquired an influence in the world for good ; 
and being dead, they yet speak through their works, that live 
after them. But the spirit-rapping deception is started, and an 
infidel "medium" sits down and writes a communication, de- 
nouncing the Bible, the church of Christ, and every thing 
sacred, and signs it "Adam Clarke," "Edward Payson," 
" Roger Williams," or " John Wesley." Is not this a forgery 
of the worst stamp ? The man who, on the day of my funeral, 
writes a promissory note upon the lid- of my coffin, and puts 
my name to it, to defraud my wife and orphan children after I 
am gone, is a saint, in my view, compared with the man who 
forges a recantation of my faith in the Bible, and in Jesus 
Christ, the hope of my soul, and signs my name to it after I 
am dead. As things spiritual and eternal exceed, in import- 
ance, those that are earthly and temporal, in the same measure 
the forgery in the latter case is worse than the former ; and the 
" medium" who signs the name of the honored dead to docu- 
ments which they never wrote, ought to be indicted under the 
laws of the land, and punished as for any other forgery. It is 
taking a liberty with the names of others which ought not to 
be tolerated in a civilized country ; and the pretension that 
their hands are " moved by the spirits," would bo just as valid 



SPIRIT AUTOGRAPHS. 117 

an excuse for the forgery of a note against me, as for the for- 
gery of a recantation of my religious faith. In either case it 
is deeply criminal, and deserves the scorn of all honest men, if 
not a term in the penitentiary. 

"spirit" autographs. 

As already shown in a previous chapter, the " spirits" have 
power to write with a simple pen or pencil, without the hand of 
a " medium." In this way, it is alleged that some fifty spirits 
wrote their names on a piece of paper, in the room of Edward 
Fowler, in New York, during the night of the 22d of Decem- 
ber, 1851. The signers were those who signed the Declaration 
of Independence, and a few others ; and so important was this 
document considered, that it was copied cerographically, and 
published in the 9th number of the " Telegraph." But a more 
bungling attempt at imitating the signatures of " the signers" 
can scarcely be conceived of. Whoever wrote it, and palmed 
it off upon the verdant " Edward" as a " spirit" production, it 
is a most palpable hoax ; and yet it " took" both with Fowler 
and " Prof. Brittan ;" and for a time created quite a sensation. 
But of late, the whole fraternity seem to be rather ashamed of 
it, and willing to have this " revelation" forgotten as soon as 
possible. 

There are a few points in relation to this " mystical manu- 
script" that may be worthy of a passing notice : 

1. The idea of seeing the spirit of Benj. Franklin with a 
galvanic battery under his arm, as described by Mr. Fowler, is 
extra " spiritual." Of course the battery was constructed of 
spiritual materials, viz. : spiritual cups, spiritual acid, spiritual 
platinum and zinc, spiritual wires, &c. By this means, the 
spirits Avrote " each for himself, by the aid of the battery." 

2. Why was this miracle kept secret so long ? It occurred, 
according to " Edward's" account, December 22, 1851 ; and yet 
we hear nothing of it till July 3, 1852 — some six months after 
— when out it comes in the " Telegraph !" 

3. Why was the first copy burned, " by order of the spirits," 
and a new one written ? Had the copyist made some mistake ? 



118 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Or did he think, having copied the names once, he could, on a second 
trial, make them appear more like the originals ? 

4. Why is the name of Taylor omitted, while those of Harrison, Polk, 
Jackson, &c, are inserted? Could not the "spirit" find the signature 
of "Old Zach" anywhere to copy after? 

But I will spend no more time upon this transparent imposition. Al- 
though Mr. Fowler is a brother of the phrenologists, who publish the 
" Supernal Theology" and other ghost-books, it is more probable that he 
is merely the dupe of the " New York Circle" than a wilful deceiver. His 
seeing Franklin, however, with his galvanic battery under his arm, is a 
strong symptom of incipient insanity, if not of something worse. 

To convince the " skeptics" of the reality of spirit communication, it is 
alleged that a spirit came into Edward Fowler's room in New York, one 
afternoon, and requested him to leave, promising to write ; and that on his 
leaving for five minutes, the spirit wrote the following, which Mr. Fowler 
found upon his desk when he returned : 

"SPIRIT" HEBREW. 











The above is a facsimile of the " message," as published in the 
"Telegraph" for October, 1852. 



" spirit" hebbew. 119 

That these characters were made not by a Hebrew spirit, but 
by some " medium" who knew nothing about IJebrew, is cer- 
tain, from the following considerations : 

1. The Hebrew reads from right to left across the page, and, 
of course, is written in the same way ; but the flourishes over 
the top, running down to the letter 9 , and also the fact that 
the first blank in the lines is on the left, and the last (at the 
bottom) on the right, show conclusively that this was written 
English fashion, or from left to right. The poor ignorant 
" spirit" knew no better than to copy the passages backward. 
Quere. As the spirits of the lower animals sometimes commu- 
nicate, might not this " Hebrew" have been written by the 
spirit of a lobster ? How else can w T e account for its being 
written backward. ? Would a spirit who could write English 
begin the word Washington with an n, and proceed backward 
to o, t, g, &c. ? And yet we have demonstration upon the 
very face of this Hebrew, that it was written in this way. 

2. This Hebrew is said to be "Daniel xii. 12, 13" (Tele- 
graph, No. 22). But the copyist, not knowing how Hebrew 
read, and beginning in the wrong place, and going the wrong 
way, has not copied Daniel xii. 12, 13, as he no doubt intended, 
but has given us detached portions of the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 
12th verses, in a way to make perfect nonsense of the whole. 
This blunder of the " spirit" is perfectly obvious to any one, on 
comparing the " message" with the original Hebrew ; but being 
desirous of furnishing the best possible proof that this " He- 
brew," like the autographs, is a forgery, I wrote Prof. Vail, 
an eminent Hebrew scholar of the Biblical Institute, Concord, 
N. H., sending him a copy of the " mystical writing," and asking 
him to favor me with a translation. The following is his 
reply : 

LETTER FROM PROFESSOR VAIL. 

Concord, October 5, 1852. 
Rev. H. Mattison : 

Dear Brother, — Yours came to hand yesterday. I embrace the ear- 
liest leisure moment to answer your inquiries. The Hebrew you sent 
me, printed in the "Spiritual Telegraph," purporting to have been writ- 
ten by a "spirit," I find to be partial extracts from Daniel, twelfth 



120 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

chapter — ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth verses. I will give y<m a 
strictly verbatim translation of these verses, italicizing those words 
" written by the spirit." You will thus be able to see what sense, if 
any, can be made out of this Hebrew, as quoted by the spirit. 

First, verse 9. "And he said : Go, Daniel, for these things (are) closed 
up, and sealed unto the time of the end" What sense is there in these 
words alone, " And sealed" &o ? 

Second, verse 10. "Many will purify themselves, and become clean; 
and make trial of themselves; but the wicked will do wickedly, and none 
of the wicked will understand, but the wise shall understand." What 
sense would there be in those words only that are italicized ? Let us 
put them together: — "Many ; but the wicked will do wickedly, and none 
of the wicked will understand, but the ivise." 

Third, verse 11. " And from the time of removing the continual sacri- 
fice and of setting up the abomination that makes desolate a thousand 
days." (The last two words are left out, viz. : fc^ifmi te^£i&fa two hun- 

dred and ninety.) 

Fourth, verse 12. " Blessed is he that waiteth and attaineth to days 
a thousand (and) three." (The last three words are left out, viz. : 
rilZDfaiTl t^ttiilB tVi&to hundred and thirty and five.) 

I will now give the spirit's quotations altogether in one connected 
whole, but will leave you to make out the interpretation, or to any 
other who will undertake the task: 

1. "And sealed unto the time of the end, the things. 2. Many ; but 
the wicked ivill do wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but 
the wise. 3. The time of removing the continual sacrifice and of setting 
up the abomination that makes desolate a thousand days. 4. Blessed is he 
that waiteth and attaineth to days a thousand (and) three I" 

This mutilation of the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth verses of 
Daniel is not very creditable to the " spirit," whoever he may be! He 
ought to be admonished, when he undertakes to quote Scripture, that 
he should do it correctly, and not take a part of a verse here, a word 
there, and a clause from some other place ! and especially when he 
quotes the original Hebrew, he should quote consonants, vowels, and 
accents all correctly arranged ; in all of which points he or his printer 
has failed in several instances. I have given as fair a representation of 
his words as could well be done by an English translation. 

I hope, dear brother, you may be successful in exposing this wicked 
and miserable necromancy. It is disgraceful to our times and to our 
people. No doubt Satan will try to keep his arts concealed from you. 
The whole business is unmitigated wickedness, and cannot be tolerated 
without sin for a moment. * * * * 

Very respectfully, your brother, Stephen M. Vail. 



SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ;c SPIRITS." 121 

So much for " spirit autographs," "spirit Hebrew/' and spirit 
literature in general. If the reader is not fully satisfied, from the 
foregoing, that all these "messages" originate with the "me- 
diums" themselves, or with some other persons who have an in- 
terest in keeping up the delusion, it will be vain to multiply 
proofs. 



CHAPTER XL 

SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE " SPIRITS." 

Spirit astronomy — An interview with " the Seer" — Spirit cosmogony — 
" Development" theory — Mr. Davis' illustrious ancestry — Spirit geology 
— A spirit plagiarism — New motive power — Essence of spirit discovered 
— New mode of education — Taking the lightning out of a lady — " Spir- 
icity" in the lump — " Tom Paine's" philosophy — The earth self-luminous 
— The sun opake — True source of " spirit" philosophy. 

As has often been the case when infidelity was assuming a 
new form, the " spirit" movement claims to be very philosophi- 
cal ; and the title assumed by the " spirits" for their dark and 
ruinous system, is that of the " New Philosophy." And as the 
more shrewd and artful of the spiritists* are constantly laboring 
to make the impression upon the masses that there is a pro- 
found philosophy in the system they advocate, and in the com- 
munication of the spirits, it may be well to devote a chapter to 
the philosophy of the spirits. 

SPIRIT ASTRONOMY. 

1. A. J. Davis, the present acknowledged head of the move- 
ment, claims to be a great philosopher. Some years since, 
while only a clairvoyant, he had a full view of the whole uni- 
verse, and published a pamphlet on the Solar System. And 
such a tissue of nonsense, absurdities, and contradictions, upon 
a scientific subject, I never saw put together before or since. 
Mr. D. saw all the planets with rings about them, like Saturn, 
but the rings of Saturn were seen wrapped about him, one over 
another, like the different layers of an onion ! I read the 

6 



122 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

pamphlet, and by request of a friend in New York, went to see 
Mr. Davis, in a clairvoyant state, in order to test his clairvoy- 
ance by a few questions respecting the planetary world. But 
the great " seer" found out the object of the visit, and though 
he was easily magnetized by his accomplice (Mr. Fishbough, I 
think), he could get no " vision ;" and consequently could 
answer no questions. I tried to get another appointment ; but 
although the " seer" was to have five dollars for answering a 
few questions, he declined any farther attempt. These facts 
Mr. D. virtually admitted before a large audience in Hartford, 
Conn. ; and if he had not, they could have been proved to his 
face. 

In Mr. D.'s astronomical revelation, in which he describes the 
planets so minutely, he has only the planets then known to most 
other mortals ; namely, seven large planets and four Asteroids ; 
whereas there are now known to be eight large planets and 
twenty Asteroids. How is this, Mr. D. ? Could you see no 
planets beyond what were then known and described in the 
books ? And why is not this astronomical revelation reprinted 
with your other works ? Is it true, as has been alleged, that 
you and your friends have recently destroyed every copy of 
the pamphlet you could get hold of ? 

2. The " spirits" who wrote the " Disclosures from the In- 
terior" for the " Mountain Cove Journal," are about as well 
posted up upon the subject of astronomy as " The Great Seer" 
himself. In their " Outlines of the Solar System," we read : 
" The number of principal [primary ?] planets revolving on the 
plane terrestrial in the solar system, is twelve," p. 25. Again, 
in the " Journal," No. 12: "The twelve planets of the solar 
system, whereof the Earth or Hierosolyma is a member, &c." 
But the planets do not revolve in the same plane as the 
"spirits" say; nor in any " terrestrial" plane; and instead of 
only " twelve" planets, as the " spirits" teach, all well-informed 
mortals know that there are at least twenty-eight planets. 
The " spirits" are more than one hundred per cent, out of the 
way as to the number of planetary bodies ; and some seven 
years " behind the times." 



DEVELOPMENT THEORY. 123 

SPIRIT COSMOGONY. 

3. But the " spirits" not only instruct us as to the number 
of the planets, but also in relation to their origin. The follow- 
ing very lucid communications are from the " Mountain Cove 
Journal :" 

" God the Life in God the Lord in God the Holy Procedure organ- 
ized the first Orh-Creation in form of appearing as one globular ovari- 
um, which was the germ of the terrestrial universe of universes ; and 
within the globular was the embryo of the external of the universal, 
impersonal creation, as one curvilinear ovarium ; and within the cur- 
vilinear the germ of the external of the universal, personal or intel 
lectual creation, in form of one vortical ovarium." 

" In the beginning of the orb-formation preparatory for man-forma- 
tions ; vehicles of the Quickening Spirit into intellectual formations, 
the universal concavity, and the universal convexity were co-enfolded 
and encompassed in the universal zodiac, and within the concavity waa 
the visible disclosure unto the germ of the Terrestrial." 

We might quote fifty pages upon this subject, not a whit 
more intelligible than the above extracts ; but it is unnecessary. 

DEVELOPMENT THEORY. 

4. " The great seer" is a great advocate of the " develop- 
ment theory ;" that is, that God did not create the different 
orders of plants and animals, but that they have been " de- 
veloped" up from vegetables to animals, and from one class of 
animals to another, until man was at last produced. The fish 
produced a tadpole ; the tadpole a quadruped ; the quadruped 
a baboon; the baboon an orang-outang ; the orang-outang a 
negro ; and the negro a white man ; and the ordinary white 
man a " seer !" 

Well done, Mr. Davis. You have traced your pedigree 
back through a line of illustrious negroes, orang-outangs, and 
monkeys, to an ichthyosaurus or an oyster. No wonder you 
are a " great seer," with such an ancestry as you boast.* 

* " In descending the scale of animation," says Smellie, " the next 
step [from man] brings us to the monkey tribe. Man, in many par- 
ticulars, undoubtedly resembles the animals of this tribe, more es- 



121 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

In vindicating his development theory, Mr. Davis gives us 
the following very striking philosophy : 

"Flour, damped with a little water, will, in a few days, or even 
hours, be transformed into moviyig, living, feeling organisms. * * Any 
man can develop oats from rye ; or oak-trees, from a combination of 
chestnut, pine, and walnut. If oats are cast into the ground at the 
proper season, and kept mowed down during the summer and autumnal 
months, and allowed to remain undisturbed till the succeeding spring, 
the oats will completely disappear, and a moderate growth of rye will 
appear at the close of the following summer." — Approaching Crisis, 
p. 51. 

And all this by " spiritual impressions," by the " great seer" 
himself ! Well, henceforth let no good housewife be alarmed, 
if, after she has prepared her flour for the oven, the loaves 
should suddenly turn into mud- turtles, and the pies into sun- 
fish, and move off into their respective elements. And if any 
of our growers of ornamental trees wish to produce the oak, 
and cannot well get the acorn to plant, let them take a quantity 
of - chestnut, pine, and walnut" chips, get them ground, make 
the meal up into little balls, and plant them ; and we have Mr. 
Davis' word for it, that from the balls will grow up oak-trees! 
The farmer, also, who wants a crop of winter-rye, and has not 
the seed, but has plenty of oats, has only to sow the oats in 
the spring, instead of rye in the fall, and the next season the 
''moderate growth of rye" will be produced! Verily, this is 
not only a " new," but a very accommodating philosophy. 
Wonder if it will be equally obliging in the amalgamation of 
existing species of animals, and the production of a new spe- 
cies ! 

In relation to the above specimen of spirit philosophy, Rev. 

pecially in his bodily structure. But even in this respect, the lowest 
variety of the human species does not nearly so much resemble the 
highest of the apes, as the latter do the majority of the quadrupeds. 
In short, notwithstanding the attempts of some philosophers to con- 
found their own species with monkeys, it requires bui a small share of 
knowledge of the anatomical structure of animals, and the general 
principles of natural history, to convince any one of the folly and ab- 
surdity of such speculation." — Philosophy of Natural History, p. 309. 



SPIRIT GEOLOGY. 125 

J. N. Murdoch \ a talented Baptist minister, and editor of the 
Christian Review, observes : 

"Is this not a wisdom which challenges the admiration and reverence 
of mankind? Who after reading this can doubt that Mr. Davis should 
be trusted when he denies the Mosaic account of the creation ? He 
who can change flour into living creatures by the simple application of 
moisture and the sun, should be allowed to develop a world without 
the creative energy of a God ! If it be so easy to make oak-trees, and 
to manufacture rye, why may we not make 'a wolf, a fox, a lion,' a man, 
nay a universe ? The only wonder is, that Mr. Davis has not told us 
how these things may be done, for he must know. At least, he can find 
out by going into the ' superior state ;' and after having told us so much 
of what chemistry can accomplish, in the way of producing life, it is 
absolutely cruel in him not to find out and declare the ultimatum of its 
capacities in this way. And there is another matter that we hope will 
engage Mr. Davis' attention. Will he not find what common and easily 
accessible substances can be changed into silver and gold? This, and 
the other discoveries which our seer is bound to enounce, would be a 
realization of 'the good time coming.' O, what visions open before us 
of privileges and glories more precious and more inspiring than those 
of the fabled golden age! There is only one little drawback in all this. 
We are 'impressed distinctly to say' that this whole theory, of which 
Mr. Davis has given us such a prelude in the above paragraph, is a 
fabrication. There is not a word of truth in it. The flour is not 
changed to insects, the chestnut, the pine, and the walnut, do not pro- 
duce the oak, and the oats are not changed to rye. If we had a boy 
ten years of age who could not account for the phenomena to which 
Mr. Davis refers, without resorting to such a theory, we should be 
strongly disposed to flog him for his stupidity. We humbly submit 
that a man who can conceive and deliberately print such absurdities as 
the above paragraph contains, is entitled to no confidence whatever. 
Yet this is the teacher on whose authority many of our citizens have 
surrendered their faith in the Bible; for whose crudities they have 
abandoned historical Christianity ! In the sacred name of reason what 
have they gained by the exchange ? What ! May God pity them and 
their deluded leader." 

SPIRIT GEOLOGY. 

5. In his Approaching Crisis, Mr. Davis informs us that 
Hugh Miller's Footprints of the Creator is u not at all accepted 
by those who know any thing of practical geology. For [says 



126 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Mr. D.] it is merely a plea of a clergyman in behalf of his 
theological faith," p. 48. 

"Now we would like to know," says Mr. Murdock, "from some better 
source than Mr. Davis' 'impressions,' whether such men as Sir Rod- 
erick Murchison, Sir David Brewster, Sir Charles Lyell, Dr. Buckland, 
Dr. Anderson, and Dr. Hitchcock, who have all of them unqualifiedly 
endorsed this book, are to be put down as novices in geological science, 
by the unsupported assertion of a man whose highest claim to credence, 
as asserted by his friends, is, that he is illiterate and ignorant! Besides, 
we would like to know whether Mr. Davis was ' impressed' to class Mr. 
Miller as a ' clergyman.' We are decidedly impressed that the talented 
author of the ' Footprints' has never yet assumed the cloth. He has 
been a stone mason, and a bank clerk, and he is now the editor of a 
political paper in the city of Edinburgh, and a practical geologist." 

6. In noticing some other points in Mr. Davis' philosophy, 
Mr. Murdock proceeds : 

"In replying to Dr. Bushnell's assertion, that the fossil remains of 
a perfectly vertebrated fish had been discovered in one of the lower 
strata of rocks, Mr. Davis says: 'I have tried to discover the location 
of that fish-skeleton, and I do not find such a fact in nature.' Of course 
not! So this fact (which Mr. D. admits is asserted by three or four 
authors ; though instead of one fish, as he ignorantly supposes, there 
were hundreds), bearing so heavily on the 'development' theory of 
creation, is done for! To be sure, this oracle has made no specific in- 
vestigations, nor examined any competent witnesses, on this point, but 
has simply gone into the * superior state,' in his chamber in Hartford 
and under such conditions sifted the matter thoroughly! "Who will 
ever dare to assert the existence of such fossil, since Mr. Davis has 
tested its non-existence by a method so infallible! Who will have the 
temerity to assume that Nature has any secrets which she refuses to 
disclose to such a seer as Mr. Andrew Jackson Davis !" 

ANOTHER SPIRIT PLAGIARISM. 

7. Not lonp* since, Mr. Davis issued four articles in that 
scurrilous paper, the Hartford Times, on the "Philosophy of 
producing and controlling the fall of Rain." He professed to 
write them, not by his own thought or study, but by spirit 
impression. At the close of his first letter, he says : " In the 
mean time, Mr. Editor, until something more comes to me con- 
cerning this subject, which when it comes, I will hasten to 



SPIRIT PLAGIARISM. 127 

write and send you, I have the pleasure of remaining/ ' &c. 
And every few paragraphs we find : " I am impressed to 
write;" — "it is my impression;" — " I see ;" — " my impressions 
now lead me to a continuation of the philosophy of ram," &c. 
At the close of his third article, he says : " You may expect 
the 'plan for producing and controlling rain' in my next. What 
that plan will be, is no more known to my brain than it is to 
yours. And so I confess that my curiosity to know 'what's 
coming next' is not in the least allayed by the fact that my 
hand has traced the foregoing." At the opening of his fourth 
letter, he says : " With this communication, I am impressed to 
terminate my correspondence." 

These extracts are sufficient to show that Mr. Davis pro- 
fesses to write by inspiration or impression from some higher 
intelligence than himself. Now what are the facts in the case ? 

Some months since, a Mr. Daniel Vaughan, of Covington, 
Ky., published a circular containing a new theory for producing 
rain by artificial means. This circular was distributed among 
the members of the " American Association for the Advance- 
ment of Science ;" and afterwards published in " Buchan's 
Journal of Man." In December last, a copy of the circular 
was given to Mr. Davis, then lecturing in Cincinnati, who 
promised to give it special consideration when next in a clair- 
voyant state. This it seems he has done ; and now comes out 
in the " Times," setting forth Mr. Vaughan's theory as an 
original theory revealed to himself by the " spirits !" And the 
pliant editor of the " Times" knew no better than to publish 
the borrowed thunder in his paper, as a genuine revelation 
from Mr. Davis ! 

The title of Mr. Vaughan's article is — " On the Causes of 
Rain, and the possibility of modifying them by Art." — Journal 
of Man, for Jan. 1853, p. 20. This Mr. Davis changes to the 
" Philosophy of Producing and Controlling the Fall of Rain." 
What difference is there in the sense ? 

Again : Mr. Vaughan says : " Two volumes of air, saturated 
with moisture at different temperatures, will be overcharged 
with it when mixed togetner, and deposit part of it in a liquid 



128 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

form." In place of this Mr. Davis is " impressed to say :*' " Two 

masses or volumes of air, thoroughly saturated with moisture 
or aqueous vapor, and of different temperatures, will, when 
they approach and mix together, become overcharged with 
the moisture, and a part ol it would [will ?] of necessity be 
precipitated in the form of rain to the earth." 

Again : Mr. Vaughan says, — " The amount of watery vapor 
which the atmosphere can contain, depends not only on its 
temperature, but likewise on its electricity * *." This thought 
Mr. Davis expresses thus : — " It is my impression— indeed I 
may say I ' see' it to be unqualifiedly the case — that all atmos- 
pheric phenomena are wholly referable to the alternate action 
of electricity ;" and so on through the whole of Mr. Vaughan's 
theory. 

In regard to this " spiritual" plagiarism, Mr. Vaughan says : 

" A few days ago I received two numbers of "The Hartford Times," 
containing four letters from A. J. Davis, in which he claims my theory 
as his own, and pretends to have arrived at a knowledge of it during 
one of his clairvoyant spells. Besides amalgamating my doctrine with 
his Spiritualisms, embellishing them with his sublime jargon, and com- 
mitting some notorious blunders in his attempts to alter my expres- 
sions, he pretends to quote from the writings of Humboldt, a sentence 
which he copied with scarcely any alteration from my circular," <fcc. — 
New York Tribune, March 25, 1853. 

And yet this same Mr. Davis succeeds in making hundreds 
believe that he does not get his knowledge from books, like 
other private students, but obtains it by intuition, or by " spir- 
itual impression !" 

But notwithstanding the liberty Mr. D. has taken with Mr. 
Vaughan's theory, he endeavors to mix in a few thoughts of his 
own ; and whenever he attempts to stand alone for a few para- 
graphs, he manifests the most deplorable ignorance of the first 
principles of Natural Science. But we leave this part of the 
" new philosophy" to be tested by experiment. Let Mr. D. 
get up his mammoth " battery" and " Leyden jar," if he has 
any faith in his own " impressions," and we guarantee abundant 
patronage and high prices for all the showers he can manu- 
facture. 



DISCOVERIES OF THE SPIRITS. 129 

NEW MOTIVE POWER, 

6. The " spirits" have " impressed" Mr. Davis, that the 
only real motive power in existence, is the human will. Upon 
this revelation an intelligent editor says : 

" Andrew Jackson Davis, the Poughkeepsie seer, has discovered that 
all sorts of machinery, locomotives, engines, &e., &c, can be driven by 
the power of the human will. He prints his paper, ' The Universal 
Hum,' by just looking into the office and nodding at the press. This 
is ahead of Hoe." 

So the discovery of Ericsson is superseded already ; and we 
may soon expect to see trains of cars drawn, and ships propelled 
by the mere " will" of some modern " seer." 

7. In speaking of the spheres, the " spirits" say " the sec- 
ond is above the atmosphere, about six miles in height" — Su- 
pernal Theology, p. 75. But the atmosphere is known to be 
from forty-five to sixty miles in height ; so that the " new 
philosophy" is sadly at fault as to the height of the atmosphere. 

SPIRITUAL ESSENCE DISCOVERED. 

8. The " spirits" teach that spirit is the same as electricity. 

" Spirit is matter sublimated. Mind is the result of spirit. Spirit is 
matter sublimated ; spirit, or the life principle, pervades all matter. 
Spirit is the life of the soul; life is electricity; natural life is electricity 
in its grosser form : spiritual life is electricity in its exceedingly refined 
state." — Boynton's Un foldings, p. 14. 

The " spirits of the sixth circle" inform us that the spirit is 
made of " electricity, magnetism," and " a spark of fire." — 
Teacher, pp. 24-27. In the Philadelphia History, p. 95, a 
spirit is asked, — " Is the spirit matter highly etherealized ?" 
Ans. "No; its electrical combination is all that is material." 
This spirit flatly contradicts " Matthew Henry," as cited above. 
But Mr. Ballou endorses Matthew Henry (Manifestations, pp. 
11, 61, 11), so we must recognize it as a settled principle of 
the "new philosophy" that spirit and electricity are the same. 

From this item of the spirit philosophy, the following con- 
clusions necessarily flow: — (1.) If spirit is electricity, then 
spirit is matter. Who, then, are the " materialists" — they who 

6* 



130 SPIMT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 

deny the materiality of the soul, or those who say it is com- 
posed of electricity or magnetism, and even declare openly that 
u spirit is matter sublimated?" (2.) If electricity and the 
spirit of man are the same, then a Leyden jar, well charged 
w r ith electricity, ought to be able to think and reason. Why 
not ? It has a " spirit" in it, and spirits ought to possess more 
or less intelligence. (4.) If spirit and electricity are identical, 
then the more electricity the more mind. If, therefore, a stu- 
dent is dull and tardy in his studies, and seems to be rather 
below par as to intellect, wo can easily supply the deficiency by 
placing him upon an insulating stool, and charging him up with 
" spiricity,"* till his hair stands out in all directions. He will 
then be able to manage Euclid, Greek verbs, or any thing else. 
A couple of Leyden jars, one each side of his head, and kept 
well charged, might answer the same purpose. 

This splendid discovery may also be applied to oratory. Let 
the weak-minded and ignorant lecturer, for instance, speak from 
an insulated platform ; and let some one keep the electrical 
machine in motion, and keep him well supplied with "spi- 
ricity" during his lecture. He will then speak with unwonted 
interest and power. We suggest that this philosophy be tried 
at once upon Messrs. Fishbough, Finney, and Ambler, if not 
upon Mr. Davis himself. 

TAKING LIGHTNING OUT OF \ LADY, s 

9. In Mr. Spear's " Messages," pp. 37-8, we have an ac- 
count of his visit to a lady who had been struck by lightning. 
She was in great distress, and Mr. S. placed the palm of his 
hand opposite hers, and took the pain himself, &c. In this 
operation, it is said that he " took the lightning from its lodg- 
ings, and gave it again to nature." 

Now if electricity (or lightning) and spirit are the same, we 
should like to know — (1.) How it was that " spirit" (electricity) 
could thus strike the poor woman ? * Is it lawful for spirit to 
dash against spirit after this sort? (2.) Was the lady any 

* This is Mr. Ballou's name for th-e raw material. 



tom paine's philosophy. 131 

more intellectual while she had this extra supply of spirit? 
(3.) How is it that the electricity lodged in the good lady's 
body ? It is not wont to lodge thus in an object, unless it is 
insulated by non-conductors. Was she separated from the 
floor by glass, or some other insulator ? Why was it that the 
" lightning" did not go out of this lady till Mr. Spear visited 
her, made a lightning-rod of himself, and drew it out ? (4.) If 
Mr. S. actually "took the lightning" out of this lady, he took 
just so much of her " spirit,'' according to the new philosophy, 
for electricity and lightning are the same, and spirit is elec- 
tricity. Mr. S. was taking the "spirit" out of this lady, then, 
instead of mere old-fashioned lightning. Really this is a 
splendid philosophy ! 

"spiricity" in the lump. 

10. Mr. Ballou goes still more profoundly into the electro- 
spirit theory. " Matter and spirit," says he, " exist both indi- 
viduated and ^^individuated throughout space," p. 11; i. e., 
both matter and spirit may be found " in the lump" or not made 
up into worlds or individual souls. To designate this spirit ma- 
terial — not yet made up into " individuated" souls — he coins a 
new word, and calls it "spiricity," pp. 13, 61, &c. So, then, 
when a spirit is wanted for a new body, a quantity of " spi- 
ricity" is " individuated" from the mass, and becomes a separate 
and conscious soul. And the more " spiricity" is cut off from 
the original stock, the more intellect the person who receives it 
will have. Those who get a good supply will be wise ; while 
those who are wanting in " spiricity" must be content to remain 
fools. Their only hope is in a resort to the electrical machine 
to splice out their intellects. 

TOM PAINE'S PHILOSOPHY. 

11. The "spirit" of Thomas Paine is extremely dubious on 
many philosophical points. Page 16 of "Pilgrimage," he says, 
" I doubt not my senses, but my sight." But was not his sight 
one of his senses? Page 22 represents the earth as a self- 
luminous body, like the sup Page 209 he says, "the sun re- 



132 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

fleets rays of light," as if it was an opake body ; and we might 
go on with similar instances of false philosophy, taught by the 
"spirits," to any desirable extent. But the above specimens 
must suffice. They are sufficient to show not only that differ- 
ent " spirits" do not agree as to their philosophy, but that on 
this subject, also, the revelations of the spirits are the simple 
thoughts of the "mediums." And as the mediums are often 
ignorant, and, indeed, generally boast of their utter destitution 
of book knowledge, the " spirits" are made to teach some very 
bad philosophy. We have in this fact additional evidence that 
the mediums are not assisted by any superior intelligence. 
Their philosophy, like their theology, is just such as we should 
expect to originate in the mediums themselves, and nothing 
more. 



CHAPTER XII. 

MISTAKES AND CONTRADICTIONS OF THE " SPIRITS." 

Number of spirit spheres — Distances — Spirit homes — Intercourse just 
opened, and yet opened ages ago — Deceptions exposed by a rapper — Tom 
Paine contradicting himself— Lavalette and George Fox at odds— Cali- 
fornia mediums and election returns — Another medium in a fix — Still 
another ditto— Philadelphia mediums in error— Another spirit plagiarism 
—Books and no books in the Schools of the Spheres—" John Wesley" 
contradicting himself— Mr. Harvey's "spirits" all Methodists— Le Roy 
Sunderland done for— The Fox girls ditto. 

With a view to showing still more conclusively that all the 
pretended " spirit messages" originate with the mediums them- 
selves, and that consequently they need not be referred to any 
higher source ; I shall now call attention to a few specimens of 
mistakes and contradictions on the part of the " spirits." 

1. Most of them teach that there are seven spheres, rising 
one above another, and that the seventh circle of the seventh 
sphere is the highest point to which any progressive can ascend. 
But the authors of the " Supernal Theology" represent heaven 



CONTRADICTIONS OF THE "SPIRITS." 133 

as beyond all the spheres. " The change from the seventh 
sphere to heaven is equivalent to death, and is almost as great 
as the change from the life on earth to the second sphere," 
p. 75. So, then, none are in heaven till they pass through 
another " death," and get beyond all the spheres. 

2. In the " Mountain Cove Journal," the spirits teach that 
there are only four spheres surrounding our globe : 

" The terrestrial earth inhabited by mortals is surrounded by, and 
revolves within, four essential orbs, which are the habitations of those 
of the human race who have departed from the corporeal form." 

But in the " spirit manifestations" by Mr. Ballou, they say : 

" There are seven spirit spheres or circles inferior to the heavenly,*' 
<fcc, page 52. 

Surely the most ignorant spirit ought to know how many 
spheres there are in the spirit world, if there are any at all ; 
but here they seem to differ to the amount of nearly one half. 

3. On the same page of the "Supernal Theology," we are 
told by the spirits that the seventh sphere commences at the 
distance of "four or five thousand miles from the earth;" but 
the spirit of "Mrs. Franklin" informs Mr. Post ("Voices," 
&c, p. 122) that the "shining stars are the homes of spirits." 
Unless, therefore, the seventh sphere extends from within five 
thousand miles of our globe to the fixed stars, it must follow 
that there are no spirits whatever in the spheres ; as these 
" homes" are far beyond even the seventh sphere. 

4. Part of the " spirits" teach that the intercourse between 
the invisible world and the earth has just been opened ; while 
others teach that it has been open for ages. After the writing 
of the spirit Hebrew in Mr. Fowler's room, B. Franklin is made 
to say : — " My dear friends, I am happy to announce to you 
that the project which has engaged our attention for some years 
has at last been in part accomplished." — "Telegraph," No. 22. 
In Mr. Bojmton's " Unfoldings," John Wesley is made to say : 
" Never was more joy in the spirit world, when it was made 
known that a mode of communication was opened to mankind. 
Such a gathering to hear the joyful news — such rejoicing was 



134 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

never known in the spheres," p. 10. So in one of Judge Ed- 
mond's visions, " Shekinah," vol. 1, p. 268, the Judge describes 
the inhabitants of the spheres as " rejoicing that a communica- 
tion had at length been opened between the inhabitants of earth 
and the spirit land. * * * They set up one glad shout, which 
rang through all space, and pointed to Dr. Franklin as him to 
whose practical and enlarged philosophy they were indebted 
for perfecting the discovery. " 

But the " spirits of the sixth circle," and others, as quoted, 
page 27, inform " the world" that they have b^en communi- 
cating, through the prophets and apostles, as far back as 3000 
years ago, at least. So Mr. Spear ("Messages," p. 23) says: 
" These things are nothing new. Eighteen hundred years ago, 
the heavens were opened," &c. Now which shall we believe ? 
B. Franklin, John Wesley, and Judge Edmonds, on the one 
hand ; or the " spirits of the sixth circle," and Mr. Spear, on 
the other ? 

"Who shall decide when spirits disagree?" and especially 
when such high spirits and exalted " seers" as are concerned in 
the above contradictions are found at variance ? How can we 
ever explain away the difficulty without impeaching the whole 
system ? 

5. After all this " rejoicing" in the " spheres, and " pointing 
to Dr. Franklin as the spirit who opened the intercourse be- 
tween mortals and immortals," we are told by other spirits 
equally " advanced" that the discovery was not made by Benj. 
Franklin, after all. 

"This mode of communicating with you by raps was not discovered 
by Benj. Franklin, as has been alleged, though it is possible that he has 
interested himself in the matter from the early stages of the discovery 
It was discovered by a spirit who, when he was on earth, was very 
much interested in electricity, magnetism, and things of a kindred na- 
ture. His name was James G. Schenck. I have had some trouble in 
finding it out for you ; but I was aware that you were anxious to know, 
and so have been diligent in my inquiries." — Supernal Theology, p. 54. 

Now this " spirit" must be right, for he had " taken about a 
month to make inquiries ;" so that all the spirits seen by Judge 
Edmonds, and even Benj. Franklin himself, were mistaken. 



CONTRADICTIONS OF THE "SPIRITS." 135 

6. The 24th number of the " Telegraph" contains a com- 
munication of nearly three columns in length, headed "Modern 
Inspiration at Mountain Cove," and signed " J. S. Hyatt." The 
substance of this long article is, that Mr. Hyatt had been 
among the rappers at Mountain Gove, Ya. ; had become con- 
vinced of their deception ; and, as he alleges, defrauded by them. 
But as he has now left them, and Mr. Brittan is hostile to the 
Cove rapologists, the columns of the " Telegraph" are opened 
for the purpose ; and Mr. Hyatt comes out with a very rich 
chapter of " disclosures." He shows to a demonstration that 
they are sadly wanting in " inspiration" at the Mountain Cove 
settlement. 

7. On page 14 of the M Pilgrimage," Paine is made to say, 
" I was never more satisfied of the truth of my book" — the 
" Age of Reason." But as Mr. Hammond advanced with his 
writing, he discovered that the " Age of Reason" was against 
the immortality of the soul — the only truth of any importance 
which is allowed to remain in the creed of the spiritists. To 
set this matter right, he makes Paine say, " I was not with- 
out misgivings that my * Age of Reason' sought not to grat- 
ify the mind in its hope of immortality. I said, 'When will 
the day come that I can make known the truth, and correct the 
errors of my work ?' " p. 20. So the book is both " truth" and 



" error." 



8. In Mr. Post's Voices from the Spirit World, -page 115, 
George Fox is made to say : " I have not found any other 
part of the universe where man commences to live," &c. But 
in Mr. Harvey's Defense, his deceased brother Lavalette says : 
" I have visited every part of the earth, all the planets of the 
solar system, and many other worlds. They are all inhabited 
by responsible and immortal beings. They are in a probationary 
state. While creatures are in this state, they are confined to 
the world in which their being commenced,' 7 p. 55. Now which 
" spirit" shall we believe, " Lavalette" or " George Fox ?" Mr. 
Post, or Mr. Harvey ? 

9. It is a very common thing for the apostles to be present, 
and communicate through mediums, as everybody knows. 



136 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

St. Paul was one of the editors of a spirit- paper, published 
in Auburn, and it was from this same apostle that " Shadrack 
Barnes" received the communication from his sister " Clarissa*' 
through the Fox girls (page 141). 

But in the Supernal Theology , page 95, the spirits say : 
"The apostles of Christ have not been at any of the circles 
formed in this country or on the earth. They are in heaven, 
except such of them as are appointed to govern the spheres, 
and they have not descended to superintend circles or write 
sermons for them." Will Mr. Brit tan please reconcile these 
discordant spirits? 

10. In the general anxiety to learn the result of the late 
presidential election, the " spirits" in California declared that 
General Scott had been elected ; that Pennsylvania had given 
him 8500 majority, &c, while Illinois had given the largest 
majority for Pierce of any State in the Union. But the elec- 
tion returns proved all these spirit-revelations to be false. 

11. The following is cut from a Western paper: 

"A gentleman was a few weeks ago interrogating the invisible 
author of certain raps, as to the disease of which he (the rapper) died. 
With considerable natural difficulty and delay, the reply was spelled 
out, Consumption. The questioner looked a little dissatisfied; and a 
physician in the company, who was zealous in the faith, hastened imme- 
diately to explain that there are a variety of forms of disease, either of 
which may well enough come under the general name of consumption. 
* That's all very well/ said the questioner, 'but it hardly applies in this 
case, for the man he professes to be was blown up in a steamboat P The 
rapper was too indignant to make any further revelations to that me-- 
dium." 

12. Another case equally in point was published in the 
Northern Christian Advocate. The writer is an intelligent 
minister of the gospel. 

" The spirit of my grandmother told me that my brother, P. C. Rip- 
ley, died on his way to California, between Acapulco and San Francisco, 
on the Pacific coast, one month and nine days before this time, which 
was the 28th of June. He was taken from a ship, carried to the land, 
and there died, of fever. He had $170 with him when he died, and re- 
quested them to write to his friends. He wished that $90 of his money 



SPIRITS OF LIVING PERSONS. 137 

should go to A. P. Ripley, and the rest to myself. I called up the spirit 
of my brother, P. C. Ripley, and he testified to the same that my grand- 
mother did. 

"Now the facts in the case are these: I received intelligence from 
him, stating that he had got to California, and was well, and weighed 
ten pounds more than he ever did before in all his life. Grandmother 
also stated that she had be? a dead nineteen years, and grandfather had 
been dead twenty-one years. Now the fact is, they neither of them 
have been dead over ten years. She stated also, that the wife of my 
brother Willis died three months ago, in the State of Michigan. One 
month ago, I received a letter from him, and his wife and child sent 
their love to me. These are facts. Facts are stubborn things. Is it 
not strange, that strong-minded men, and women, too, will run after 
and believe such a host of fooleries? It is a perfect humbug. But I 
will not make any more comments upon it, but leave the facts them- 
selves — to which I am ready to make oath, at any time — to cut their 
own way, by carrying conviction as they go. Let me warn all Chris- 
tian people to keep aloof, and have nothing to do with the spirit-rap- 
pings. M. W. Ripley. 

" Fayetteville, July 26, 1852." 

" Not long since," says the editor of the " Daily Register," 
" a friend called for our spirit, and held a rapping conversation 
with it, but we can testify to having been in the body at the 
time." 

13. At a circle in Philadelphia, the spirits were asked men- 
tally — " Are these motions of the medium's hands all made by 
evil spirits ?" " Yes !" " Can these so-called spiritual mani- 
festations be accounted for without reference to spirits at all ?" 
" Yes," — and very emphatic. 

" Similar developments," says the writer, " took place in sittings I 
had with two mediums in Worcester, Mass. The spirits made them 
rap with their hands. Through them both, spirits (of mortals who are 
now living) responded, and each one would have talked an hour — had 
I consented — uttering all the while what I knew to be false." — Telegraph, 
No. 12. 

14. In the 34th number of the " Telegraph," we have a let- 
ter from P. B. Bristol, in which he refers to an article headed 
" The Formation of Circles," and says : 

" It is self-evident that the spirit dictating this article knew, and 
could so act on the muscles of the medium, as to repeat verbatim an 



133 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

article previously written by A. J. Davis, in " Philosophy of Spiritual 
Intercourse." Second : a fact worthy of note is, that the spirit neg- 
lected, whether intentional or not, to give Mr. D. credit ; and it may be 
a fact that the same or some other spirit gave the same article to Mr. 
D., which, however, does not to me seem at all probable. In view of 
many similar occurrences, and facts of a singular nature, I am led to 
inquire after the philosophy." 

The "philosophy" is simply this — the " medium" copied the 
article from " Davis' Spiritual Intercourse," and sent it to the 
" Telegraph ;" and Mr. Brittan the editor knew no better than 
to publish it as an original spirit message. 

15. The "spirits" teach that they have schools in the other 
world, the same as in this ; and that the Virgin Mary is the 
head manager of the children. 

"Mary, the blessed mother of Jesus, in His Incarnation, is guardian 
maternal to all children in paradise." — Mountain Cove Journal, No. 6 

In the " Supernal Theology," it is said, " The brother hac 
been writing a free hand, and telling what studies he pursued 
in the spirit world," p. 20. " Geology, Botany, Physiology, 
and other sciences, from many books upon each one of them, 
by different authors. * * The books upon these subjects are 
by authors unknown to us," * * pp. 27-8. But the spirit of 
young Ballou says, " I teach those younger than myself. * * 
We study to get a knowledge of all which earthly scholars do, 
but not through books" Manifestations, pp. 219-20. Now 
which is correct, the " Supernal Theology" written by spirits ; 
or the spirit of A. A. Ballou ? Do they have school-books in 
the spheres or not ? And if they have, are they printed and 
bound there ? And if so, have they type foundries, presses, 
ink and morocco manufactories, paper-mills, and book-sto?*es in 
the spirit world ? 

16. John Wesley has spoken to us respecting his writings 
through two different mediums. The first is through Mr. 
Boynton, of Waterford, N. Y., and is as follows : 

" I entertained many erroneous views while in the form ; and I am 
very anxious the world should know wherein I was in error. I be- 
lieved and preached many truths, but also many errors ; the truth I 



MESSAGES FROM JOHN WESLEY. 139 

wish to remain, the error I wish to have rejected. The sect who pro- 
fess to pattern from my life and teachings, have all my errors, besides 
the accumulation of many more, but have not much of the truth. * * * 
I have often looked back upon my former writings and preaching, and 
wished that oblivion might forever cover them ; and also, that if I 
could return to earth in my corporeal form again, I would teach quite 
another doctrine." — Unfoldhigs, pp. 4, 6. 

But this same "John Wesley" sends us a communication 
through Mr. Harvey's medium, in which he conveys a very 
different sentiment. 

" My views on Christian theology, which I taught in my ministry, 
and are set forth in my published works, are in all essential points the 
same that I now have, only my present views are much enlarged." — 
Defense, p. 58. 

How is this ? Is John Wesley such a two-faced "spirit" as 
to recant his former theology through a Universalist medium, 
and reaffirm it through a Methodist medium ? Or does this 
case show conclusively that the " spirits" are the mediums 
themselves, who always give messages in accordance with their 
own peculiar views ? 

15. Mr. Harvey's medium was a professed Methodist. De- 
fense, p. 51. Now on reading her revelations, we find them to 
contain the principal doctrines of the M. E. Church. In this 
respect they are the very opposite of all other messages I have 
ever seen. They talk of conversion, pp. 61, 63, 66 ; of sin and 
the atonement, p. 55 ; of promoting the peace of churches, p. 
59 ; of prayer, p. 61 ; of devils, p. 61 ; of a hell, pp. 67, 
75 ; of warning sinners, p. 67 ; and of the resurrection and 
future judgment, pp. 53, 57. 

Of this medium Mr. Harvey says : " For several years she 
lias enjoyed and professed the blessing of perfect love," &c, p. 
51. Page 61 a spirit says to her, "Be holy — be more holy." 
Page 64 we read : " It is absolutely necessary for the medium 
to make the profession of holiness ; if she does not she will 
backslide," &c. A fine character, this, to profess holiness ! 
But both Mr. Harvey and the medium held certain ultra- 
Methodistic views upon this subject ; hence these peculiar 



140 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

views, like those they held in common with other Methodists, 
are- woven into the spirit messages. 

Mr. Harvey was at this time a Methodist minister, and in 
regard to the messages through his medium he says : " The 
whole range of theology has been covered by the questions 
that I have asked, all of which have been promptly and satis- 
factorily answered," p. 73. All that came through this me- 
dium then, was, in the judgment of Mr. Harvey, orthodox 
Methodist theology. But the forty other ghost-books written 
through infidel mediums, are all infidel from first to last ; that 
is, Methodist mediums put Methodist theology into the mouths 
of the "spirits ;" and infidel mediums make the " spirits" teach 
infidelity. What better proof do we want that in all cases the 
alleged " spirit messages" originate with the mediums them- 
selves ? 

16. Le Roy Sunderland, of Boston, was for a time one of 
the leading mediums in the country. To ascertain definitely 
whether the " spirits" actually communicated through him, a 
gentleman in New York sent him the following letter : we give 
it verbatim, et literatim, et punctuatum. 

" respected sur I send one dollar if you please tu have some ques- 
tions respecting of my daughter which departed this lif January the 19, 
1851 i brot her up from a child she was a daughter too me her name is 
mary ellen Perkins and was 19 when she dide my mind is exercirsed 
very much in respect of her state of mind in a religious point of view 
which if you Communion with spirits in the other world she was flitey 
and out of her head as the poet sais afflictions soar long time she bore 
physician was in vain send me a letter i want two here if her state of 
mind is happy no more at present PHEBE NEWELL 

"new Yore sity feb, the 31st 1851. 

" mr laroy Sunderland." 

This letter, inclosing one dollar, addressed in characteristic 
chirography to Mr. Le Roy Sunderland, Boston, was read to a 
friend, and by him deposited in the post-office, postage paid, 
Feb. 13, 1851. The following is Mr. Sunderland's reply: 

" Eliot-St., Boston, Mass., i past 10, A. M., Feb. 15, 1851. 
** My Sister Dear : — I have this moment laid your letter before the 
Spirits, and received the following answer : — ' Tell her Mary is happy, 



LE ROY SUNDERLAND CAUGHT. 141 

and with her dear Mother Newell all the time. I watch over her for 
good ; and I love her now more than ever. I will be near her and 
stand at her right hand when she reads your answer. She must not 
grieve. I will soon make sounds in her presence when she is alone, 
which she can hear, when she will know it is me.' 

"And I understood the spirits to say that you was not her own 
mother, but she loved you as her own, and she said she came here to 
tell what to say to you when I answered your letter. In the sphere 
where Mary has gone none are miserable, but all are as happy as they 
possibly can be. Yours truly, *LE ROY SUNDERLAND. 

"It is not often that I attempt an answer to letters like yours, but 
I suppose I was attracted to Mary's sweet spirit to gratify you. She 
has stood by me while writing, as I believe." 

Now the facts in this case were, that there were no such 
persons as " Phebe Newell" and " mary ellen Perkins ;" and 
yet Mr. Sunderland found no difficulty in getting a message 
from the said "mary ellen" to her "dear Mother Newell." 
The words " I brot her up from a child she was a daughter to 
me," enabled the " spirits" to inform Mr. S. that " Mother 
Newell" was not " ellen's" own mother, <fcc. 

The above is a fair specimen of the origin of the pretended 
"spirit messages." And yet it is only one of a thousand in- 
stances in which mediums have obtained communications from 
fictitious departed relatives, or from the spirits of the living. 
" Shadrack Barnes" of New York, got a long message through 
the Fox girls, from his sister " Clarissa," alleged to have been 
drowned on the steamer Erie, near Silver Creek. The sister 
had "jumped overboard" with " Julius Holmes," to whom she 
was engaged — was 23 years old, &c. But the fact was that 
Mr. Barnes never had any such sister ; and the whole message 
was fabric! ted by the " Foxes," to supply the supposed de- 
mand. 

1*7. A Mr. Park, of Georgia, an old bachelor of nearly sixty, 
was told by a distinguished medium in Providence, R. I., that 
he had been twice married, and was the father of seven children ! 
In questioning the spirit of his sister Sarah, through a medium 
in Providence, Mr. Burr said — " Is the spirit of my sister 
Sarah here ?" "Yes." "Do you love me as much as you 



142 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

did in life ?" " Yes.'' " Do you always know what I am 
doing ?" " Yes." " How long have you been in the spirit 
world?" "Six years." And yet Mr. Burr never had any 
such sister. 

Did space permit, and were it necessary, we could cite fifty 
instances in which the best " mediums" in the county have 
been thus caught. But it would be a waste of time to write 
or read them. Enough are already given to show that the 
messages are the productions of the mediums themselves ; and 
that they can get just as reliable communications from the 
spirit of a living man, or a fictitious " spirit," as from any other. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

ASTONISHING REVELATIONS BY THE SPIRITS. 

What have they revealed ? — Davis' sublime philosophy — Judge Edmonds' 
"kitten" — Learning to write in the Spheres — Ladies most intellectual — 
Bloomer dresses to prevail — Ladies to pay addresses to the gentlemen — 
All to live without eating — " Pay the printer" — Spirit wanting gin — 
Spirits want money in the Spheres — Birds and other animals in the 
Spheres — Playing cards in the Spheres — Parties, balls, and concerts in 
the Spheres — A battle in the Spheres — Spirits won't serve the press — 
Won't operate in public — Deception and collusion. 

It might naturally be supposed that if departed spirits were 
allowed to communicate freely with mortals, they would, in 
the course of thousands of messages, communicate something 
that would be of importance to the world. But instead of 
this, what have they revealed ? What in History, Mechanics, 
Agriculture, Science, or Theology ? What that is worthy of 
a moment's attention from any intelligent person ? True, Mr. 
Davis has taught us his origin ; and how animals can be made 
out of flour and water ; oak-trees grown from chestnut, pine, 
and walnut ; and rye from oats ; but the more such philosophy 
the world has, the worse it is off. And we may challenge the 
whole " harmonial brotherhood," from Mr. Davis downward, 
to produce the first thing revealed by the " spirits," and not 



SPIRITS OF ANIMALS. 143 

known before, that is of any importance to the world. The 
alleged " intercourse'' has now been open some five years at 
least ; and thousands of " messages'' have been received ; and 
yet to what do they all amount ? Just nothing at all. A 
man may wade through a thousand pages of their ghost-books, 
and not find a really new idea in the whole of them. There is 
no lack of old infidel objections to the Scriptures, and oft-re- 
peated arguments against Christianity; but we have seen these 
before. Will not some " medium" undertake to collect and 
publish a statement of the really important facts, <fcc, revealed 
by the " spirits ?" We have had smoke and chaff enough ; 
and we pray you, gentlemen necromancers, if the " spirits" 
have revealed any thing important to you, let us know what it is. 

In the absence of any thing better, however, we shall give 
a few specimens of the " facts" revealed by the " spirits ;" 
leaving every reader to judge for himself as to their importance 
to mankind. 

One of the disclosures made to Judge Edmonds was, that 
when Ire was a boy he had either played with or killed a kitten 
— a very important revelation ! 

SPIRITS OF ANIMALS. 

In another instance, the spirits of a dog, a cat, and a horse, 
came back and made some very important disclosures. Here 
is the account : 

"Six ladies and gentlemen assembled around a usually sized ma- 
hogany table, and went through the usual form of laying on hands, <fec., 
which shortly brought out a rap. By the desire and at the suggestion 
of a scientific gentleman, the spirit of some animal was called for. The 
raps gave it by the alphabet to be, in the first place, that of a pet dog. 
Several satisfactory answers were given relative to its n am e; that of 
its late master, time of its decease, <fcc. Not fully persuaded that they 
were dealing with the 'spirit' of a dog, one of the mediums requested 
that the dog would scratch upon the table, when, to the utter astonish- 
ment of all present, scratching as audible and as loud as ever came 
from the claw of the canine race, was heard upon the table. This was 
repeated several times. The next * spirit' was that of a cat, who re- 
vealed the secret that it had been drowned while at a very tender age, 



114 SPIEIT-RArPING UNVEILED. 

in a cistern, by a young lady who was present. The answers in this 
instance were correct and satisfactory. 

"After this, a gentleman (who was a medium) asked if the spirit of a 
favorite horse was present. The raps were in the affirmative. The 
raps then gave the name of the horse by the alphabet, its age, the num- 
ber of years it had been dead, the name of the place where it had been 
struck by lightning, (fee." — Boston Bee. 

Another " spiritual" interview is thus described by a writer 
in the " Westfield Standard" of Feb. 2, 1853. 

" One evening a company of young people were getting responses 
from the ' spirits,' when one of their number suddenly made the in- 
quiry, ' Is there a spirit of a woodchuck present ? The rest of the com- 
pany, alarmed at his presumption, jumped up from the table. He en- 
treated them to be seated again, and make the trial, urging that it was 
possible they might detect some fallacy in the matter. Accordingly, 
they were re-seated, and in order to have every thing fair and square 
with the ' spirits/ they called on them, again, and they responded as 
readily as though no insult had been offered. At length the spirit of 
' Chucki/ was invoked, and, right glad to make the acquaintance of his 
superiors, he responded to the call at once by a good lusty ' tip.' 
Having thus established a communication with the animal creatures 
(whether dead or alive yet remains to be known), and finding them 
equally ready to communicate, they called upon other species of ank 
mals, and found them just as ready to help on the sport. In this man- 
ner, and by other experiments in which the ' spirits' were left out of 
the question ; the idea of communication with the dead through such 
media was exploded in Halifax, and a more rational explanation of 
these phenomena established. And thus it may be exploded, in any 
* circle' who are anxious and willing to expose its fallacy." 

In Brittan and Richmond's discussion, " Telegraph," No. 41, 
Mr. Richmond says : " Ahies Cowles, in Austinburgh, called 
up the ghost of a horse—' Old Pomp' — and he tramped like 
a horse on the table." 

SPIRITS LEARNING TO WRITE. 

In Mr. Bailouts "Manifestations," p. 187, we have an ac- 
count of a visit from the spirit of one Frank Copeland, who 
was unable to spell out any thing, because he was " an illiter- 
ate youth" when he died. But, — 



REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES, 145 

"Marcus Wilcox, knowing that Frank had an intelligent and amiable 
sister in the spirit world, advised him to get her to teach him. She 
also manifested herself, and it was agreed that the advice should be 
followed. The result was, that at the end of three months, Frank de- 
sired to show his earthly friends what improvement he had made. 
This he did by spelling many words and names correctly, and by va- 
rious proofs that his moral nature was experiencing a very great change 
for the better." 

There, gentle reader, think of that ! Learning to write in 
eternity! Think of your "spiritual" paper ; "spiritual" ink 
and quills, and the " spiritual" training by a " spirit" writing- 
master ! Really this is a hopeful system for boys who prefer 
to play truant instead of attending to their studies. They can 
play in this world, and learn to read and write in the next. 

IMPORTANT QUESTION SETTLED. 

The " spirits" have at length decided that long disputed and 
most vital question — whether ladies or gentlemen are the 
more intellectual. This disclosure was made in Philadelphia, 
and runs as follows : " Q. Which has the best intellect, men 
or women ? A. Women are the more spiritual." — History of 
Developments, p. 93. This may be of some importance to the 
" Woman's Rights" party ; for who will deny that if women 
are the more intellectual (a point which I shall not dispute), 
they ought not only to be equal to, but to have authority over 
the man in all things. The old scriptural idea that wives 
should obey their husbands must therefore be a mistake. 

SPIRITUAL FASHIONS. 

The " spirits" announce a great change about to take place 
in the fashions : 

- "And even, even the very form of the garments, which you now wear, 
— even these shall be changed ; and those with which you now clothe 
your mortal bodies, will be looked upon, in a wiser day, with amaze- 
ment ! Hardly able will the inhabitants of your earth be to believe 
that such were ever worn. The new garments shall be beautiful, comely, 
easy, and pleasant to look upon." — Murray's Messages, p. 123. 

Now for the Bloomer dress by " spiritual" authority. 

1 



146 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 



SPIRITUAL COURTSHIP. 

We learn from the " Spirit Messenger," No. 8, that the 
present customs of society as to courtship and marriage, are 
to be completely reversed. 

"The female — the negative — as society is now based, is compelled to 
attract the positive, in order that a union may be formed ; must, with- 
out an advance, win the object that is to companion her through life — 
an isolated rudder laying in wait for a pilot. Can woman, thus 
shackled by society's fetters, be reasonably expected to form a correct 
alliance — get a good pilot? So long as woman is compelled to remain 
the thing of circumstances, the wooed instead of the wooing, the 
sought-for instead of the seeking party, just so long there must be, of 
necessity, incorrect unions — or she be forever stigmatized as old maid ! 
Is it not a sin — to say nothing of shame — that existing restraints com- 
pel woman to remain at home ? * * * Then pitch fashion to the 
dogs." * * * 

So, then, if there are any " old maids" hereafter, they will 
be found among the unmarried gentlemen. And who will 
say that this is not an interesting, if not an important dis- 
closure ? 

LIVING WITHOUT EATING. 

The spirit of John Murray informs us that in a short time we 
are all to live without eating. " The very food with which 
you now nourish your mortal bodies, that will be laid aside." 
— Messages, p. 124. This must seriously affect the produce 
market, and is a very important revelation. 

A PRACTICAL MESSAGE. 

In one instance a " spirit" exhorted a delinquent subscriber 
to a paper, to " pay the printer." 

" We accepted an invitation to attend a sitting of a circle of Spirit- 
ualists, the other evening, and were not a little surprised when the 
following message was spelled out to one of our company: * Pay the 
Printer P It was subsequently explained through a 'medium/ that 



REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES. 147 

the message was from the spirit of a delinquent subscriber who owed 
us $1.50. The friends of the departed paid us the money without 
hesitation, and the joy of the relieved 'spirit' was manifested by loud 
raps, tipping the table, &e." — Palmer Journal. 

So it seems the " printer" got a dollar and a half by that 
spirit revelation, which was certainly of some importance to 
him. 

SPIRITS LIKE GIN. 

On a certain occasion a spirit rapped out that he " wanted a 
glass of gin ;" and another " spirit" informs us that John Bun- 
yan is keeping a tavern somewhere on the road up through 
the spheres. Whether he sells " gin" or not, the spirits have 
not informed us ; but if he does, the tippling spirit should have 
been referred to John Bunyan for a supply. 

SPIRITS BORROWING MONEY. 

We learn from the " Supernal Theology" that the spirits 
need money in the other world, as much as mortals do in this. 
The spirit wanted " a certain sum of money in bank-notes," 
and "said he would pay it back soon," p. 102. But what 
did he want of bank-bills in the spirit-world ? Will they pass 
among the " dwellers in the spheres ?" And why did he not 
patronize the spiritual bankers at Chicago ? 

SPIRITUAL BIRDS. 

We learn from the " Supernal Theology," pages 33-35, that 
a spirit who lives " in Swedenborg-street" in the other world, 
has her " beautiful canary ' Dick' " and " Margery's little 
bird ;" and that the spheres are filled with " humming-birds," 
"robin redbreasts," and other "birds of love." But why this 
partiality in the selection of birds ? Are the canaries, and 
humming-birds, and robins, admitted to the spheres, and the 
crow6 and buzzards shut out ? Are the latter to blame for 
not being "birds of love?" Are they not as the Creator 
made them ? Why, then, are they not seen in the spheres ? 

But if birds are to be seen in the "spirit-land," why not 



148 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

other animals, such as scorpions, vipers, crocodiles, &c. ? And 
where shall we shut down the gate ? But probably they will 
all be " spiritual" birds and reptiles, answering to Franklin's 
spiritual battery : so we leave " Dick" and his fellow-warblers 
in the spheres without further criticism. 

SPIRITS PLAYING CARDS. 

The very striking disclosure has been made that " spirits," 
as well as " mediums," often plav cards, — even the high spirits 
of the " fifth sphere." 

" On one occasion, a whist party was formed, and one of the four 
being disinclined to play, this spirit volunteered to take the hand. 
Little Mary was therefore seated, and though she could not herself 
play the game, it was well played through her hands by the spirit. 
In the course of it he remarked, that he frequently played whist in the 
fifth sphere." — Supernal Theology, p. 55. 

And if departed spirits not only associate with *' whist par- 
ties," but play whist with them, and " frequently play whist 
in the fifth sphere," card-playing must not only be a very 
innocent, but a very holy employment. Only think ! a com- 
pany of " archangels" (as the high sphere spirits are called) 
around a whist- table in the other world playing cards ! What 
a splendid example for mortals ; and how encouraging to the 
gamblers of our villages and cities ! 

BALLS AND PARTIES IN THE SPHERES. 

The " spirits" inform us that they have frequent parties and 
balls in the other world, and that dancing is a favorite recrea- 
tion in the spheres. 

"We have many parties in the spheres. At one of them in the 
sixth, there were two or three thousand spirits present. "We always 
dance, and always have music." — Supernal Theology, p. 53. 

Again : 

" The most frequent o£ all their assemblies, however, are when spir- 
its of their acquaintance rise to a higher sphere. Then the spirits of 
the sphere to which they rise bring all their friends to welcome the 



SPIRIT CONCERTS AND BALLS. 149 

new spirit on its advent. A grand entertainment of music and dancing 
is given." — Ibid., p. 98. 

So we have the same high authority for dancing that we 
have for card-playing ; namely, the example of the high spirits 
of the spheres. If the spirits of the " sixth circle" dance 
and give balls, it can not of course be wrong for mortals to 
follow their example ; and as we never hear any thing of the 
worship of God in the " new philosophy," the legitimate in- 
ference is that Christians, who are led away by this infidel 
delusion, had better follow the example of the " spirits," and 
go to dancing and playing cards. 

JENNY LINDS AMONG THE SPIRITS. 

Another rather interesting disclosure is, that they have their 
Jenny Linds and Sontags in the other world as well as in this. 

" Often in asking some spirit the reason why he could not he present 
with us on some occasion, lie has told us that he was going to a con- 
cert. Some great singer was to sing, and the number of spirits con- 
gregated to hear was incalculable. It seemed, they would remark, 
that all in the sphere were present." — Sup. Theology, p. 98. 

So they have " great singers" there as well as here ; and the 
people rush in multitudes to hear them. Whether they have 
a Barnum there or not, to manage the finances, the " spirits" 
do not inform us. 

A BATTLE IN THE SPHERES. 

Since the death of the Duke of Wellington, the spirits assert 
that he and Napoleon have met somewhere in the spheres, and 
that they do not agree at all. Napoleon asserts that the bat- 
tle of Waterloo was not fairly fought ; while Wellington con- 
tends that the battle was won in the most scientific manner, 
and that he could do just so again, if he had the same army 
to command and the same foe to conquer. To settle the mat- 
ter, it is agreed that they will wait till the few old pensioners 
of their respective armies that remain on earth come to the 
spheres ; when they will call the roll, and fight the battle over 
again ; and the results in this case shall be final. 



150 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

SPIRITS WON'T SERVE THE PRESS. 

But, with all their skill in revealing mysteries, the spirits 
utterly refuse to serve the press, in furnishing news for its daily- 
issues. Hon. Horace Greeley has offered $2500 a year, I be- 
lieve, to any "medium" or " spirit" who will furnish him with 
the daily London news every night, so that it may appear in 
the " Tribune" next morning. But the " spirits" decline the 
contract. They will follow the " Foxes" and " Fishes" all over 
the country, to rap and tip for the people at a dollar a head ; 
but when any thing is proposed that would be a test of their 
pretensions, the "spirits" are off. 

SPIRITS WON'T RAP IN PUBLIC. 

To the above may be added the equally significant fact that 
the spirits will not " rap" or " tip" in public ; except where the 
" mediums" can make all the arrangements themselves, and take 
the necessary precaution to prevent detection. In January, 
1853, the writer delivered two lectures on the subject, in the 
Broadway Tabernacle, New York. The day previous to the 
first lecture, the following card was inserted in the " Times " 
" Herald," and " Tribune." 

A WORD FOR THE SPIRITS. 

Mr. Editor : — Since the announcement in your pap#r of the lecture 
about to be given at the Tabernacle on Spirit Communications, a gen- 
tleman who claims to represent the spirit interests of this city, has 
called upon the writer to know if he would allow questions to be asked 
and replies given during the lectures. For obvious reasons this modest 
request cannot be granted ; but as a substitute for questions or replies 
to my arguments while they are being delivered, as the means of re- 
futing them, I wish now to say, that a table and chairs will be in 
readiness at the close of each lecture, to the use of which the " me- 
diums" of the city are cordially invited ; and if they wish so far to 
demonstrate the truth of their pretensions, as to exhibit the rappings, 
the involuntary writing, and the moving of the table without hands, 
before the audience, they shall have the privilege of doing all they can 
in this way to refute the lectures. And I would especially invite the 
" spirits of the sixth circle," who have done so mi ch of late to enlighten 
us through the mediumship o<" Mr. Ambler and others, to be present, 



LETTER FROM THE SPIRITS. 151 

and explain their communications. They need not fear a large audi- 
ence, though we are in the " lower sphere" or u rudimental state." We 
hope the j will select their best mediums, and give us indubitable evi- 
dence of their presence on the occasions referred to. Prof. Brittan will 
please inform his invisible friends by "Spiritual Telegraph," that they 
may be sure to be in attendance. Yery respectfully, 

New York, Jan. 6, 1853. H. Mattison. 

According to promise, a table and chairs were in readiness, 
qnd at the close of the lecture, the " mediums' ' were invited to 
come forward, and give us specimens of their skill. But no 
mediums came. A certain ''Prof. Owen," however, who is 
himself a great wizard, came forward to the pulpit without in- 
vitation, and after informing the audience that he regarded Mr. 
Ambler's revelations as " of equal authority with the Bible," 
read the following letter from the " spirits," the original of 
which I still have in possession. 

LETTER FROM THE SPIRITS. 

"The spirits of the sixth circle say, through Mr. Ambler, that Mr. 
Ambler, being previously engaged to lecture at the Brooklyn Museum 
this evening, finds it impossible to be present as invited in the Herald. 
But he would say that the spirits of the sixth circle accept the chal- 
lenge to refute the lecture this evening, and will do so in a course of 
lectures to be delivered through Mr. Ambler at a time not far distant, 
of which the public will be duly informed." 

This letter was written with a pencil, and in Mr. Owen's 
handwriting. The lecture that Mr. Ambler was delivering in 
Brooklyn, was the one described on page 11. On the reading 
of the letter, I at once informed Mr. Owen that the "spirits" 
had entirely misapprehended the nature of my challenge. I 
was not to invite them to refute my lecture by a course of 
counter lectures, but to give us a few specimens of kickino- 
tables and flying men. Some one in the gallery inquired of 
Mr. Owen if Mr. Ambler had any engagement for the next 
Friday evening (the time of my next lecture), to which he re- 
plied that he did not know, and there the " demonstration" 
ended. 

In the advertisement of the second lecture, Jan. 14th, the 
invitation to the mediums was again renewed in the following 



152 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

words. " The * nle(iiums , of the city are again invited to be 
present to exhibit their marvelous phenomena, otherwise the 
public will judge whether the ' spirits' are not afraid of gas- 
light, and an intelligent audience." On this occasion quite a 
number of mediums were present, as also Mr. Partridge, joint 
publisher of the " Telegraph ;" but instead of the " marvelous 
phenomena" desired, Mr. Owen came forward with a written 
argument in defence of spirit-rapping. This the audience re- 
fused to hear, but called loudly for the "raps." No raps 
could be got up, however, in so public a place ; and so the au- 
dience were dismissed. 

The " mediums" and " professors" will operate in private, 
or publicly in some small building, provided they can have time 
to arrange the " fixings," and to take the necessary precau- 
tions to prevent detection ; but without such means of safety 
the " spirits" absolutely refuse to attend. I have invited them 
out before the public, in at least ten different places ; and in 
every case they have shrunk back from public investigation. 

Now why is this ? If the phenomena are the effects of 
some physical or philosophical cause hitherto unknown, as 
some suppose, why not try the experiments in public as well 
as in private ? Is any lecturer on Natural Philosophy afraid 
to illustrate his theory by experiments in Electricity, Magnet- 
ism, &c. ? Certainly not. And if disembodied spirits are the 
causes of the "raps," why should they not delight to operate 
publicly, and convince the " skeptics" as soon as possible ? 

The simple truth is (as we shall show more fully hereafter), 
that the whole system is based upon deception and collusion ; 
and unless the " mediums" and " professors" can be so cir- 
cumstanced as to prevent detection, they can never be induced 
to exhibit their wonders. 

We have evidence, therefore, from the fact that nothing im- 
portant has been revealed by the spirits for five long years 
since they began to communicate ; while much that is abso- 
lutely silly and demoralizing is attributed to them ; and also 
from the facts that the " spirits" will not serve the press at 
any price, nor operate in public ; that the " mediums" and 



HOW THE SPIRITS TELL FORTUNES. 153 

"professors" are the only " spirits" concerned in the move- 
ment. To suppose for a moment that any higher intelligences 
are the authors of those messages, is to slander the whole 
spiritual world. 

HOW THE SPIRITS TELL FORTUNES. 

But it is asked—" If there are no spirits who reveal any 
thing to the mediums, how is' it that they will inform persons 
of so many things that they could not have known by any 
earthly means ?" Well, how is it that any shrewd " fortune- 
teller" will make three-fourths of those who have faith enough 
in their pretensions to visit them, believe that they really have 
knowledge of the " past, present, and future," as they pretend ? 
No matter how this knowledge is professedly obtained, whether 
by "the stars, planets, and science ;" by studying the wrinkles 
in your hand ; or by any other method. The fact that most 
who visit such characters think they get their " fortunes" told, 
is notorious. The philosophy of this fact probably is, (1) That 
such persons are strongly predisposed to believe, or very cred- 
ulous ; and consequently greatly color the revelation to their own 
self-deception. They excuse the mistakes, and magnify the few 
happy hits. (2) The witch or wizard generally gets some clew 
to the history of the customer, through a third person ; or by 
some word dropped at the time of the interview ; and by a 
careful study of human nature, and long practice at guessing 
and deception, they manage to deceive three-fourths of all who 
put themselves in their power. 

So with the spirit-rappers ; — they are as often wrong as 
right, even with their very convenient method of divinings by 
a simple " yes" or " no." They have often been known to 
make appointments for interviews, and then send out spies to 
" fish" up something respecting the parties, by the revealing 
of which to " convince the skeptics." 

I know a case in point where a young man received a very 
remarkable revelation through a New York " medium ;" but 
a friend of the medium had previously obtained all the facts 
from the youn^ man's mother. In another case, a spirit 

7* 



154 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

" professor'' told a " medium ,, certain secrets, known only to 
himself and wife ; and then took his wife to the medium to re- 
move her " skepticism,'' by the startling " disclosures" of the 
spirits. Hundreds of similar cases might be cited, and yet 
there are a class of persons in almost every community who 
cannot yet see that the whole thing is a deception. 

So far from its having any thing extra to recommend it as 
a system of divination, it has even less of consistency and truth- 
fulness than the old exploded systems of " fortune- telling." 
" If these spirits have found such a mode of communication," 
says the Boston Recorder, " they do great injustice to them- 
selves and to us, by abstaining, as they invariably do, from 
giving us any useful information about the world of spirits. 
They undertake to tell about the position of deceased indi- 
viduals, but they offer nothing to add to present information 
about the future world. All the thumpings of the last ten 
years have not added a particle to what was before known of 
the world to come. Now what is the use of all this ghostly 
rapping, if it is a mere clatter without sense ? None but 
senseless spirits can be engaged in it. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

EFFECTS OF SPIRIT-RAPPING. 

Frauds by the spirits — Spiritual banking — Euin of George Doughty — In- 
sanity — Orville Hatch — Melissa Haynes — Ad aline C. Moore — Robert G. 
Shaw — Samuel Cole — Ninety insane rappers — Remark of Judge Rose- 
velt — Tendency to suicide — Bishop Peabody — Mrs. Rich — S. W. Lincoln 
— Murder by a medium — Suicide of Matthew Langdon. 

" By their fruits ye shall know them," said the Saviour of 
the false prophets ; and a more legitimate and righteous test 
can never be applied to any system of philosophy or religion. 
Truth always blesses. Its fruits are always good. But error 
never produces gocd fruit. It always tends to misery and 
ruin. If, therefore, the "new philosophy" was founded in 



SPIRITUAL BANKING. 155 

truth, it would be sure to bless its votaries : but if, on the 
other hand, it is essentially false, we might well expect its 
effects to be disastrous. Let us look, then, for a moment at 
the effects of the spirit-rapping delusion, as developed in the 
history of the last five years. 

FRAUDS BY THE " SPIRITS" SPIRITUAL BANKING. 

A noted operation under this head has recently been " de- 
veloped" in Chicago, 111. The following " disclosures" are 
from the Chicago papers : 

" The operations of the Bank of Chicago, which its proprietors have 
conducted in this city for some time past, affecting to have communi- 
cations in regard to it from spirits of the departed, were summarily 
closed yesterday by the interposition of the law. 

"A commission of Lunacy having been issued and Conservator ap- 
pointed in the case of its president, Mr. Eddy, the mediums took the 
matter in charge, and avowed that the ' spirits' counseled resistance 
even unto death, and for that purpose arms were provided. 

" During the forenoon several persons having business at the bank, 
were somewhat roughly handled and put out by force. Mr. D. C. Eddy, 
the Conservator, learning of these facts, entered a complaint before 
Judge Rucker, and John Drysdell, Charles Herrick, Ambrose Smith, 
Joseph M. Arnold, Henry Pilgrim, Mrs. Herrick, and Mrs. Ryer son, were 
arrested on charge of conspiracy, threatening to take life, and for as- 
sault and battery. 

"Grant Goodrich, Esq., conducted the prosecution. The prisoners 
being asked if they had counsel, Drysdell replied ' Yes.' The Court 
inquired who, to which he replied * God.' " — Chicago Journal. 

The following synopsis of the proceedings on the trial is from 
the Chicago Press : 

"John W. Holmes was the first witness called. He testified that he 
had been directed by the ' Conservator of the effects of Ira B. Eddy,' 
not to deliver up the keys of the vault to any person : but Ira B. Eddy 
demanded them on Tuesday evening last, and, with a pistol in his hand, 
threatened to blow him through unless he surrendered the keys. Wit- 
ness then gave them up. He further said, he heard Drysdell remark 
in the bank, about the same time, that there would be no harm in Mr. 
Eddy's shooting a person now, as he had been declared ' insane' by a 
jury, and he could not be harmed for the acts of an { insane' man. 

" A mee^g of the mediums was held at the bank on Tuesday even- 



156 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

ing, and communications were held with Alexander Hamilton, General 
Washington, and other deceased personages, who unanimously de- 
clared that Holmes was a traitor to the institution, and was working 
against them. He was accordingly told by Mr. Eddy that he must 
leave the bank. 

"Mr. E. H. Haight was the next witness examined. He testified 
that Ira B. Eddy, in company with Mr. Pilgrim, went to the store of 
W. F. Dominick & Co., and inquired for a pistol. They were shown 
some, and while examining a lot of revolvers, Pilgrim recommended to 
Eddy to take one of Allen's patent, as it would work quicker than 
Colt's, and, therefore, would be more useful. The pistol was procured, 
and they left. Shortly after Pilgrim returned for some powder and 
ball, and was supplied. The pistol was returned to the store yesterday, 
and six ball cartridges drawn from it. 

* * * "Mrs. Ryerson, one of the mediums, stated she had never 
visited the bank until Tuesday evening, when she had a communica- 
tion with the spirits, who directed her to inform Mr. Eddy and the 
officers, that they must go on with their bank although they would 
find it up-hill business, but that God was at the head of it. 

"Sheriff Bradley testified that he found, yesterday forenoon, in Pil 
grim's house, on the west side, a lot of gold and silver coin, and a 
small amount in bank-bills, in all to the value of about $8000, which 
had been carried thither from the bank a few hours previously by 
Pilgrim himself, and was deposited in a chest, the key of which was 
immediately delivered on the demand of the witness." * * * . 

Such are some of the fruits of spirit-rapping, as developed w 
the line of banking*. 

RUIN OF GEORGE DOUGHTY, 

Mr. George Doughty was a respectable farmer of Flushing, 
Long Island. Becoming interested in the " spirit-rappings," 
and giving himself up to the teachings of a " medium, " he at 
length lost his balance, and was robbed by the "spirits" of 
nearly every thing he had on earth. The following account 
of this most fiendish transaction is from the " Brooklyn Daily 
Eagle" of Feb. 25, 1852. 

"A case of insanity, produced by the influence of the spiritual 
rapping delusion, has come to our knowledge, which has foi the pres- 
ent blighted the prospects of an interesting family, and placed an 
exemplary member of society among the inmates of a lunatic asylum. 



RUIN OF ME. DOUGHTY. 157 

"A farmer residing on Long Island, a short distance from this city, 
&nd possessed of considerable property, having his interest excited by 
the reports of the doings of the mediums of this most mischievous and 
absurd delusion, resolved to seek out one of the professors of the spir- 
itual doctrines and make himself acquainted with the mysteries which 
they pretend to disclose. With that intention he proceeded to the 
city of Pittsburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, where he was introduced 
to a professed medium, a lady named Mrs. French, whom, after a short 
acquaintance, he invited to visit him and his family on Long Island ; 
and from that time — some two years ago — up to within a recent date, 
she has been a constant visitor at the farmer's house, where she was, 
at the wish of the unfortunate man, treated as one of the family. 

"A few weeks since, however, she arrived in the city of New York, 
and, instead of proceeding direct to the farmer's, as she was wont to 
do, took rooms at the Irving House, where she was accompanied by a 
strange man, whom, she informed the farmer upon visiting her, was 
about writing an interesting legend of the spirit-land, she furnishing 
the materials and matter. We are not advised of the exact progress 
which the farmer made, or the steps by which he arrived at the results 
which followed ; but the effect of his spiritual intercourse with the 
medium was to unbalance his mind and deprive him of the proper use 
of his reasoning faculties. Of course, the medium took advantage of 
the poor man's insanity, and such was the influence she had acquired 
over him, and the strange delusion under which he labored, that she 
induced, him to adopt her as his daughter, and finally to make over to 
her nearly his entire property. 

"The wife of the unfortunate victim endeavored to restrain him in 
his mad career, but did not succeed. By threats of violence he com- 
pelled his gentle partner to make an assignment of her interest in his 
affairs to him ; after which, he proceeded to convert his effects into 
cash — which amounted to about 15,000 dollars in all — and this he im- 
mediately paid over to the medium at the Irving House, upon which 
the latter took French-le&Ye and departed, going, it is reported, back 
to the city of Pittsburg. The next day he seemed partly to realize the 
extent of his folly, and called upon his friend the medium — but lo, and 
behold ! the charming creature was missing, as was also the fabulous 
book-writer. He then asked to be shown to the room she had occu- 
pied, and declared he would commit suicide. His request was of 
course refused, and he was driven from the house. 

"He then proceeded to the residence of an acquaintance in New 
York, and there repeated his determination to shuffle off this mortal 
coil, as life had become burdensome to him. He was only laughed at 
and chided for his folly, and told to go home. He next came to the 
house of his relatives in Brooklyn with the intention of carrying out 



158 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

his designs against his own life ; but, as he afterwards stated, his 
friends treated him with so much kindness, that he felt his resolution 
give way, and partly abandoned the idea of self-destruction. He finally 
went home, and his friends, with very natural misgivings as to the 
propriety of permitting him to have unlimited restraint, had him ar- 
rested and conveyed to the New York Lunatic Asylum, where he now 
remains a confirmed lunatic. A telegraphic dispatch has been sent on 
to Pittsburg for the arrest of the medium who, it is hoped, will not 
escape ' unwhipt of justice.' 

"The victim of this conspiracy is the father of two very interesting 
daughters, and has many respectable relatives and connections in this 
city, whose feelings with regard to the sad event, may be easily 
imagined. Such are the particulars of one of the most infamous cases 
of heartless fraud, and delusion which has probably ever been recorded. 
The reputed medium is reported to be an abandoned female of the 
worst character." 

At the time of this writing, Mr. Doughty is still confined in 
the asylum at Bloomingdale. The amiable "medium" has not 
yet been arrested. 

INSANITY PRODUCED BY THE "SPIRITS." 

The effects of this delusion in the production of insanity have 
been most terrible, as will appear from the following slips, cut 
from different papers during a few months past, and from the 
statistics collected from different lunatic asylums : 

Mr. Orville Hatch, of Franklin, Conn., has become insane, he hav- 
ing devoted considerable attention to the subject of spirit-rappings. — 
JST. Y. Times, Aug. 20, 1852. 

Another Victim. — A victim of spiritual rappings, from Little Falls, 
has recently been placed in the State Lunatic Asylum. When will this 
lamentable delusion cease? — Troy Times. 

Another Victim. — Miss Melissa Haynes, of Cincinnati, was sent to 
the Lunatic Department of the Commercial Hospital, a few days 
ago. The " Times" there says the true cause of insanity is spiritual 
rappings. 

About two months ago, a young Irishman, said to be remarkably in- 
telligent, died at the Sisters' Hospital in a state of insanity, brought on 
by frequent "communication with tb* spirits," as the phenomenon is 
called. — St. Louis Republican. 



VICTIMS OF SPIRIT-RAPPING. 159 

Last autumn, a woman was brought from the country to one of 
our hospitals in a state of insanity, from the cause — then believed 
to be hopeless. She had been considered a person of strong mind, and 
withal had been much respected and liked by her acquaintances. 
Having, however, developed by frequent practice her latent rapping 
powers, and giving herself entirely over to the doctrine of spiritual 
intercourse, reason was unfortunately, though naturally enough, de- 
throned. — Ibid. 

Robert G. Shaw, known everywhere as one of the most wealthy and 
influential merchants of Boston, the Fitchburg "Reveille" says, is crazy. 
He has been for some time deeply interested in spiritual manifesta- 
tions, and it was to him the spirit of Daniel Webster is said to have 
communicated, and given, as an evidence of its identity, Webster's sig- 
nature, which, by critics in such matters, could not be distinguished 
from the signature of an unpaid note of $1000 that Mr. Shaw holds 
against Mr. Webster. It may be, however, that his simple belief in 
spirits at all gives rise to such a report. — Beloit Journal, Feb. 10, 1853. 

A Victim of " Spiritual Rapplxgs." — A girl about fourteen years of 
age, named Adeline C. Moore, was before the Police Court yesterday, 
charged, upon complaint of her father, Jonathan Moore, of East Boston, 
with being a stubborn child. There was evidence that the girl did not 
stay at home, but went from place to place as her fancy dictated ; but 
it did not appear that she was wilful or stubborn, and, upon her prom- 
ising to go home with her father, she was discharged. Two or three 
years ago the girl became interested in the "spirit-rapping" mania, 
and was what is called a " medium." Since then she has exhibited 
symptoms of insanity, and wandered about in East Boston and Chel- 
sea. She is a pretty and interesting girl, intelligent and modest, and 
we hope she will hereafter shun those delusions which have misled 
her. — Boston Herald. 

The superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane in Indian- 
apolis, Ind., says : 

"An elderly gentleman who had previously enjoyed good health, 
now an inmate of this institution, was living in peace and harmony 
with his family, until the ' spirit-rappers' visited the neighborhood. 
He attended their exhibitions and believed their revelations ; but, un- 
fortunately for the old gentleman, it was revealed to him by one of 
the ' mediums' that his second wife, with whom he was then living, 
had caused the death of his former companion. 

"The old man believed all to be a direct and truthful revelation 
from the spirit- world, and from that hour his domestic happiness was 
at an end. Sleep forsook him, and he became a maniac, which he 



100 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

still continues to be, with but dim prospects for recovery." — Report 
for 1852. 

The Sacrifice of a Medium. — A man whose name is Samuel Cole, re- 
siding in Washington county, Ohio, who was made insane from the 
workings of the spirit-rapping delusion, became possessed of the idea 
that he must offer, like Abraham of old, a sacrifice to the Supreme 
Ruler of the universe. He accordingly proceeded to carry his object 
into execution, by taking off one of his feet, which he succeeded in do- 
ing some days since, in a very scientific manner, and with an heroic de- 
termination that would compare with the self-sacrificing deeds done 
in the earlier ages. His family, fearing that some other of his limbs 
might be demanded in a like cause, had him conveyed to the lunatic 
asylum at Columbus, where he is now in the enjoyment of as much 
liberty as the nature of his disease will warrant the superintendent of 
that institution in granting him. — Register, Phil., Feb. 28, 1853. 

STATISTICS FROM INSANE ASYLUMS. 

But we must not stop to describe individual cases. It is 
enough to know that hundreds have lost their reason and been 
ruined by this delusion. I have been at some pains to ascer- 
tain the number of inmates treated in the different insane 
asylums in the country during the year 1852, who lost their 
reason by " spirit-rapping ;" and the returns thus far, in an- 
swer to my inquiries, are as follows : 

State Asylum, Utica, ST. T., 17* 

Retreat, Hartford, Conn., 1 

Asylum, Somerville, Mass., admitted, 5 

" " " Refused for want of room, ... 3 

" Columbus, Ohio, . ....... 30 

" " " Not admitted, . . 10 

" Worcester, Mass., 6 

" Indianapolis, Ind., 18 

Total, 90 



* This was the number up to January 1, 1853. But at this writing, 
there are several more. "We learn," says the "Albany Register, " 
"that from Monday, the 21st ult. [Feb.], until Friday, the 25th ult. 
(live days), seventeen new patients were admitted into this institution 



STATISTICS OF INSANITY. 101 

Here we have returns from only six of the institutions, and yet 
the number thus far reported amounts to ninety of our fellow - 
beings, bereft of reason by this terrible scourge. But the num- 
ber made insane by spirit-rapping throughout the whole country 
is far greater than this. In reply to a note of inquiry, the 
superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane in Philadelphia 
says : " There have been several individuals here whose disease 
was connected with that delusion — a belief in which seems to 
be itself one form of mental derangement." While in Hart- 
ford recently I was shown a young man in the Retreat, who, 
on being spoken to about the " spirits," pointed out the win- 
dow and exclaimed, " There is the spirit of my grandfather. 
Don't you see it ? There it is, out there on the limb of that 
tree I" Poor fellow ! It w r as pitiful to see the wreck of a 
youthful intellect — but the satanic deception had accomplished 
its work, and landed its victim in the asylum. 

The statistics, as given above, are either from private letter- 
received from superintendents, or from the printed reports of 
the several institutions. Now, as only a small portion of the 
insane of the country ever go to any asylum, and yet we know 
of nearly one hundred who have either been treated in, or have 
applied for admission into asylums during the past year, whose 
insanity has been caused by the spirit-rapping movement, it is 
a fair presumption that at least five hundred persons have been 
bereft of reason, by this one cause, during the last five years. 
How many families broken up, children bereft of fathers or 
mothers, earthly prospects obscured, and hopes blighted for- 
ever ! And all for what? That a set of vagabond " mediums" 
may fill their coffers at the expense of their well-meaning, but 
too credulous fellow-beings, and a company of infidel editors 
and ghost-book writers may flood the land with their ruinous 
publications. 



— a greater number than ever before admitted in so brief a space of 
time. There is no doubt but this increase is owing, in a great measure, 
to the unhealthy state of excitement caused by the spiritual humbugs 
of the day." 



162 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

Of the spirit-rapping inmates at Indianapolis, the superin- 
tendent remarks : 

"A new cause of insanity has within a recent period beeu developed, 
and by reference to the table of alleged causes, it will be seen that no 
less than eighteen have been added to the number of our inmates, du- 
ring the year, from the so-called ' spiritual Tappings/ * * 

" Of the eighteen cases of insanity alleged to have been caused by 
* spiritual rappings,' thirteen were men, and five women. The form of 
insanity w T hen admitted, was that of raving mania in fifteen, character- 
ized by loud and incoherent vociferations. In two, it was deep melan- 
choly, and in one, imbecility, approaching to dementia. In all except 
three, the minds of the unfortunate subjects of this modern delusion, 
were in complete ruins, there being left scarcely one vestige of rational 
thought, or ability to reason. * * 

"Their profession of religion was as follows: Methodists, three; 
Christian Church, two ; infidels, two ; Mormon, one ; Swedenborgian, 
one ; Baptist, one ; making no profession of religion, eight." 

Such are the effects of this terrible scourge upon the intel- 
lects of its deluded votaries. Its tendency is only to ruin. And 
when shall the plague be stayed ? When will the people see 
that they are closing their eyes to the strongest possible evidence 
of collusion and trickery ; and being defrauded of religion, self- 
respect, property, and reason ? 

In summing up his remarks on the case of Mr. Doughty, 
Judge Bosevelt remarked : " If things go on at this rate, we 
shall have to enlarge our lunatic asylums, and establish a bed- 
lam wherever there is a rapping circle announced/ ' 

But forgery, robbery, and insanity are not the worst accom- 
paniments of this delusion. In its train have followed suicide 
and murder ! The whole system is red with the blood of our 
fellow-men. 

TENDENCY TO SUICIDE. 

In the last Report of the Ohio Lunatic Asylum, the Super- 
intendent observes : 

" Causes of Insanity. — Among these, nothing is more worthy of no- 
tice than the large and rapidly increasing number of cases caused by 
the present popular delusion, * Spirit-Rappings.' In these the suicidal 



CASES OF SELF-DESTRUCTION. 163 

tendency is especially prominent, while the constant resting of the 
thoughts upon the scenes of an imaginary world, renders it the more 
difficult to attract attention to those of the real. Such cases, though 
recent, have proved more unfavorable than any others of the same 
class." 

The fearful tendency here spoken of has, in many instances, 
resulted in premature death. 

CASES OF SELF-DESTRUCTION. 

" Mr. Bishop Peabody hung himself in a barn in Grafton, Lorain 
county, on Friday last. He was an amiable, intelligent, and respected 
young man, but became so absorbed in spirit-rappings when that de- 
lusion appeared in his neighborhood, as to completely unbalance his 
mind. * * * The case of Mr. Peabody is but one of a long list of 
the insane, or partially such, caused by modern rappings and spiritual- 
ism as taught and practiced by the Fishes, Foxes, Finneys, Davises, and 
their followers." — Cleveland (0.) Herald. 

"A Mrs. Rich, of Kirtland, was taken suddenly, in what appeared to 
be a fit, about four o'clock on the morning of Feb. t8. Her family 
supposed her to be in a mesmeric trance, and consulted a couple of the 
spirit mediums to ascertain what was the matter. The mediums wrote 
that she was in a mesmeric state, and would not come out until two 
weeks from that day. Her friends refused to administer any medicine, 
or allow any others to do so, supposing, as they did, that she was in a 
trance. At one time she recovered enough to tell her attendants if she 
did not have some medicine that she should die, and then became un- 
conscious. She livea along in this manner until Feb. 23, when she 
died." — Geauga (0.) Republic. 

" A poor fellow in Malone, Franklin county, K Y., whose thoughts 
have been on the spirit-rappings mostly of late, and who had been pro- 
moted to the dignity of a writing medium, at last became quite crazed, 
and on the morning of the 11th inst., at 4 o'clock, leaped from the piazza 
of his boarding-house, fracturing thereby his heel and ankle-bone. This 
new victim of a vulgar superstition has a wife and family who depend 
for subsistence on his earnings." — N. Y. Times. 

The name of this person, as we learn from the Malone Jef- 
fer sonian, is S. W. Lincoln. 

A lady in Livingston Co., K Y., sat up and read the " Tel- 
egraph" till late at night, and then went out and pitched head- 
foremost into a well, and was taken out dead. 

A man in Barre, Mass., was instructed by the " spirits" to 



1G4 fcPItf IT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

take the life of his wife and children ; and, but for the timely 
interposition of others, would have accomplished his purpose. 

MURDER BY A MEDIUM. 

Almira Bezely, a rapping medium, of Providence, R. I., pre- 
dicted the death of her infant brother by the rappings ; and then 
bought arsenic and gave him, and took his life. On being ar- 
rested, she confessed the crime, and the causes which led to its 
commission. 

On her trial for murder, Samuel B. Holliday testified as 
follows : 

a She only gave me one reason for the commission of the crime. She 
said there had been a gradual change coming over her. It had not 
come on in a moment, but in a month or weeks. The cause of this was 
the deception she had practiced, in regard to these rappings." — Provi- 
dence Journal, Oct. 22, 1851. 

"It was in evidence before the [coroner's] jury, that the death'of 
the child was predicted at these rappings. My impression is that the 
child died at about the time predicted." — Ibid. 

"I do not think she could have committed this crime without this 
influence [that of spirit-rapping]. I suppose the deception and fraud 
practiced had weakened her moral principle, and prepared the way to 
crime." — Ibid. 

And what more can we expect of persons who will break 
down all conscience, and give themselves up to rob their fellow- 
beings by a most blasphemous deception ? Why should they 
not resort to almost any crime that will help to establish their 
fame as " mediums," or conceal their abominations ? 

SUICIDE OF MATTHEW LANGDON. 

Matthew Langdon, a printer, 38 years of age, became insane 
by attending the circles, and finally took his own life. The 
following extracts from the testimony taken before the coroner's 
jury, and published in the New York Times of Jan 8, 1853, 
will show the real cause of this melancholy event : 

" Maria Langdon, being sworn, says, I am wife of Matthew Langdon, 
now lying dead at this place ; I do not know when he was born ; my 
husband and myself lived at No 91 Eleventh-street, up to the time he 



SUICIDE OF MATTHEW LANGDOX. 165 

cut his throat ; he cut his throat on Monday last, between 1 and 2 
o'clock, P. M. * * * He did not sleep on Saturday nor Sunday 
night, and constantly talked of spiritual manifestations. * * * * 
For the last ten months, he has been in the habit of reading what he 
called spiritual papers, to wit: TJie Spiritual Telegraph, published in 
this city ; also The Mountain Com Journal. * * His mind seemed 
absorbed in these papers ; he has been attending the spiritual circles 
For the last ten months, and for the last three weeks twice a week ; 
one circle met at Mrs. Fish's,* in Seventh-av. * * I lost a daughter 
ten months ago ; her death made him feel very bad, and was the cause 
of his consulting these mediums ; he said they told him that if he would 
become a seeing medium, he could see his child; he told me that this 
would satisfy him, and that he consulted the mediums for this purpose." 

Ellsworth Elliott, M. D., surgeon of Bellvue Hospital, where 
Langdon was sent after he cut his throat, said : 

"He told us he had been influenced by spiritual manifestations (in 
which he expressed his belief ) to commit suicide; he said about ten 
months ago he had lost a daughter under peculiarly aggravating cir- 
cumstances. * * * He spoke of spirits that were about him — of 
Brother Harris, of Mountain Cove, Fayette Co., Ya., of The Spiritual 
Telegraph and Mountain Cove Journal." * * 

After hearing all the evidence in the case, the jury rendered 
the following verdict : 

" That Matthew Langdon came to his death by exhaustion consequent 
upon mental excitement and from a wound inflicted by himself upon 
his throat. We also find that this state of mind was superinduced by 
his connection with persons calling themselves spiritual media. We 
also recommend the Grand Jury to take measures for the suppression 
of circle meetings at the houses named in the testimony." 

A righteous verdict, only it does not go far enough, Not 
only should the Grand Jury " take measures to suppress the 
circles" — those slaughter-houses of men and women — but they 
should suppress the papers by which, in connection with the 
circles, this man was led to take his own life. If it be rio;ht to 
suppress obscene books and prints, because their influence is 



* Mrs. Fish is since married; and is now known in the "spiritual 
circles'' as Mrs. Brown. 



166 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

pernicious, why not suppress the papers and ghost-books that 
are robbing the people of their money ; filling our asylums 
with the insane ; driving many into murder and suicide ; and 
scattering " firebrands, arrows, and death" wherever they go. 
If there was ever a case in which the law of the land should be 
brought to bear upon pernicious publications, this is one. 

But the stereotyped reply of the rappers to the argument 
founded upon the effects of their teaching is, that the Christian 
religion has often produced the same results ; and, therefore, 
if we condemn the rapping delusion, we must condemn Christi- 
anity also. 

But it is not true that Christianity has ever produced any 
such results. There have been cases in which error, under the 
name of religion, has produced insanity (as was the case with 
the Millerite excitement a few years since), but the truth has no 
such effect. In one instance, a person became deranged from 
the apprehension that her soul was irrecoverably lost ; but that 
was an error which unbalanced her mind. Christianity never 
taught her that her soul was beyond the reach of mercy ; and 
as error respecting departed spirits tends to ruin, so all other 
error tends in the same direction. But truth always tranquil- 
izes, blesses, saves. I do not believe the first instance has ever 
been known where a belief of the truth, as revealed in the Gos- 
pel, has led to the ruin of a human intellect, much less to mur- 
der and suicide. But it is not so with spirit-rapping. Its effects 
are evil, and only evil, and that continually. And as " a good 
tree cannot bear evil fruit," we want no letter evidence that 
the whole system is a device of the devil, to carry on his oppo- 
sition to Christ ; to deceive even some of his followers ; and to 
ruin souls for whom Christ died. 

The necromancers have another sophism by which they labor 
to deceive. " These communications," say they to the Chris- 
tian, " are doing great good. They have convinced many infi- 
dels of the truth of an immortal existence," &c. Here we have 
another fling at Divine Revelation. That affords no sufficient 
evidence of immortality. But a few " raps," produced by some 
slip-shod " medium, n at a dollar a head to the spectators, are 



FALLACIOUS REASONING OF THE RAPPERS. 167 

sufficient proof of immortality. They are " convinced," and 
are no longer " skeptics !" But what are they ? Do they now 
believe the Bible ? Have they sought the mercy of God through 
the merits of Christ ? Are they now men of prayer ? No, indeed. 
They are the same profane Sabbath-breaking infidels they were 
before. They have been " convinced" and " converted ;" but 
the conviction wrought in their minds was that the spirit-decep- 
tion would be a fine thing to seize upon to disseminate infidelity ; 
and their conversion has been from the old form of infidelity to 
the new form, called " spiritualism." And this is the great 
good effected by spirit-rapping. 



Such are the fruits of the " new philosophy ;" and if it be of 
God, then must He have ceased to be gracious, and resolved to 
send darkness, blight, and desolation upon the heritage of man. 



CHAPTER XV. 

CAUSES OF ALLEGED SPIRITUAL PHENOMENA. 

Sophistry of the rappers — Rapping in a school-room with the toes — Dis- 
covery by the Buffalo physicians — Detection of the Fox girls — Rapping 
with the feet or ankles — Wiseacres deceived by a young girl — Medium 
tables with machinery — Disclosure at Hartford — Statement of Mr. Pack 
— Confession and affidavit of Mr. Beardslee — Experience of Mr. Burr — ■ 
Physical demonstration — Moving of tables. 

In the light of the facts revealed in the preceding chapters, 
we are now prepared to answer the question, — If there are no 
invisible intelligences concerned in the production of the rapping s 
and other phenomena, by tvhat are they produced ? 

FALLACIOUS REASONING OF THE RAPPERS. 

In connection with this question will be found the great fal- 
lacy of the rappers. They constantly assume that if we cannot 
tell hotv the raps are produced, we are bound to admit their ex- 
planation ; and to admit that they are produced by disembodied 



168 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

spirits. But suppose Anderson, or Heller, or Blitz were to take 
similar ground in regard to their tricks, and say, " These effects 
are produced by the inhabitants of the moon ; and if you don't 
believe it, tell us how they are produced?" Cannot any one 
see that the argument is just as good in one case as in the 
other ? Suppose there were raps and movement of tables, for 
which we were unable to account, would it follow that they 
were produced by departed spirits ? Our ignorance of the true 
cause of a phenomenon, is no reason why we should refer it to 
a false one ; for I may be sure that a certain thing is not the 
cause of an effect, though I may be unable to tell what is the 
cause. 

The logic of the rappers is something like this : A murder 
has been committed ; I do not know who committed the mur- 
der, therefore it was S. B. Brittan ! I do not know how the 
raps are made, therefore they must be made by departed spirits. 
And yet by the use of this transparent sophism, the rappers 
have convinced scores of their " impressible" dupes that the 
raps are made by " spirits." 

Even, then, on the supposition that the cause of the rappings, 
&c, was a profound mystery, it affords not the slightest ground 
for the belief that they are produced by spirits. Other causes 
may exist and elude detection, as is proved by the operations of 
every juggler in the land ; and the assumption that we must 
refer the rappings to departed spirits, because every person can- 
not detect the cause, is sheer sophistry. 

But conclusive as this view of the subject is to every ra- 
tional mind, there is no difficulty whatever in pointing out the 
causes of all the phenomena that have ever taken place in con- 
nection with the mediums. 

CAUSE OF THE RAPPINGS. 

The " rappings," as they are called, are produced in a great 
variety of ways, but always by the mediums, or by some one in 
league with them. The rapping mediums are generally ladies, 
because their dresses and sex enable them the better to conceal 
the deception. 



DISCOVERY BY THE BUFFALO PHYSICIANS. 169 

On one occasion, as we learn from the Boston Traveller, a 
young miss, in one of the grammar-schools in that city, sud- 
denly began to rap and write as a medium. She declared that 
she was impelled to write, and could not help the rappings ; 
but as soon as the teacher proposed to expel her from the 
school if she did not desist, she ceased to be a " medium." 
There was no difficulty then in controlling the " spirits." 

Rev. H. 0. Sheldon, of Berea, 0., spent some time in investigat- 
ing the subject ; and the mediums that he detected rapped by 
snapping their toes. I met Mr. Sheldon at the house of a 
Presbyterian clergyman, at Leroy, N. Y., about a year since, 
and he not only told, but showed us precisely how the toe-rap- 
pers get up their messages. He could rap beautifully with his 
toes, sitting' or standing; and had he not told us beforehand 
how it was done, we might not have suspected the true 
method. 

DISCOVERY BY THE BUFFALO PHYSICIANS. 

When the " Fox Girls" first started off with their specula- 
tion, they visited Buffalo, 1ST. Y. Here three intelligent physi- 
cians undertook to ascertain the cause of the mysterious rap- 
pings. The results of their investigations will appear from the 
following extracts, copied from their "Discovery and Explana- 
tion," published soon after. 

" On carefully observing the countenances of the two females (Mrs. 
Fish — now Mrs. Brown, and her sister, Margaretta Fox), it was evident 
that the sounds were due to the agency of the younger sister, and that 
they involved an effort of the will. She evidently attempted to con- 
ceal any indication of voluntary effort, but in this she did not succeed. 
A voluntary effort was manifest, and it was plain that it could not be 
continued long without fatigue. * * * 

" Various facts may be cited to show that the motion of joints, 
under certain circumstances, is adequate to produce the phenomena of 
the rappings ; but we need not now refer to these. By a curious coin* 
cidence, after arriving at the above conclusion respecting the source of 
the sounds, an instance has fallen under our observation which demon- 
strates the fact, that noises, precisely identical with the spiritual rap- 
pings, may be produced in the knee-joint. 

8 



170 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

" A highly respectable lady of this city, possesses the ability to develop 
sounds similar, both in character and in degree, to those professedly 
elicited by the Rochester impostors, from the spiritual world. "We 
have witnessed the production of the sounds by the lady referred to, 
.and have been permitted to examine the mechanism by which they 
are produced. 

"We have witnessed repetitions of experiments in the case just re- 
ferred to, sufficient to exhibit to us all the phenomena of sounds be- 
longing to the Rochester rappings, and without further explanations at 
this time, we append our names in testimony of the facts contained in 
the foregoing hastily-penned exposition. 

University ) AUSTIN FLINT, M. D., 
of J. CHARLES A. LEE, M. D. 
"Feb, 11, 1851. Buffalo. ) c. B. COVENTRY, M. D. 

This communication was first published in the Buffalo Com- 
mercial Advertiser. As soon as Mrs. Fish saw it, she sent a 
communication to the same paper, inviting the doctors to an 
interview, to detect her in making the raps if they could. The 
following is their account of the interview : 

DETECTION OF THE FOX GIRLS. 

" The invitation thus proposed was accepted by those to whom it was 
addressed ; and on the following evening, by appointment, the exami- 
nation took place. After a short delay, the two Rochester females 
being seated on a sofa, the knockings commenced, and were continued 
for some time in loud tones and rapid succession. The " spirits" were 
then asked whether they would manifest themselves during the sitting 
and respond to interrogatories. A series of raps followed, which were 
interpreted into a reply in the affirmative. The two females were 
then seated upon two chairs placed near together, their heels resting on 
cushions, their lower limbs extended, with the toes elevated, and the 
feet separated from each other. The object in this experiment was to 
secure a position in which the ligaments of the knee-joint should be 
made tense, and no opportunity offered to make pressure with the 
foot. "We were pretty well satisfied that the displacement of the bones 
requisite for the sounds could not be effected unless a fulcrum were ob- 
tained by resting one foot upon the other, or on some resisting body. 

"The company, seated in a semicircle, quietly waited for the "man- 
ifestations" for more than half an hour, but the " spirits," generally so 
noisy, wer* now dumb. The position of the younger sister was then 



DETECTION OF THE FOX GIRLS. 171 

changed to a sitting posture, with the lower limbs extended on the 
sofa ; the elder sister sitting, in the customary way, at the other ex- 
tremity of the sofa. The " spirits" did not choose to signify their pres- 
ence under these circumstances, although repeatedly requested so to 
do. The latter experiment went to confirm the belief that the younger 
sister alone produces the rapping s. These experiments were continued 
until the females themselves admitted that it was useless to continue 
them longer at that time, with any expectation of manifestations being 
made. 

"In resuming the usual position on the sofa, the feet resting on the 
floor, knockings very soon began to be heard. It was then suggested 
that some other experiment be made. This was assented to, notwith- 
standing the first was, in our minds, amply conclusive. The experi- 
ment selected was, that the knees of the two females should be firmly 
grasped, with the hands so applied that any lateral movement of the 
bones would be perceptible to the touch. The pressure was made 
through the dress. It was not expected to prevent the sounds, but to 
ascertain if they proceeded from the knee-joint. It is obvious that this ex- 
periment was necessarily far less demonstrative, to an observer, than the 
first,because if the bones were distinctly felt to move, the only evidence of 
this fact would be the testimony of those whose hands were in contact 
with them. The hands we^re kept in apposition for several minutes at 
a time, and the experiment repeated frequently, for the course of an 
hour or more, with negative results: that is to say, there were plenty 
of raps when the knees were not held, and none when the hands were 
applied save once, as the pressure was intentionally somewhat relaxed 
(Dr. Lee being the holder), two or three faint, single raps were heard, 
and Dr. Lee immediately averred that the motion of the bone was 
plainly perceptible to him. The experiment of seizing the knees as 
quickly as possible, when the knockings first commenced, was tried sev- 
eral times, but always with the effect of putting an immediate quietus 
upon the manifestations. * * - * The conclusion seemed clear 
that the Rochester knockings emanate from the knee-joint. 

" Since the exposition was published, we have heard of several cases 
in which movements of the bones, entering into other articulations, are 
produced by muscular effort, giving rise to sounds. We have heard of 
a person who can develop knockings from the ankle, of several who 
can produce noises vvii.th the joints of the toes and fingers, of one who 
can render loudly audible the shoulder, and another the hip-joint. We 
have also heard of two additional cases in which sounds are produced 
by the knee-joint." 

This was, no doubt, the manner in which the sounds were 
first produced by the " Fox Girls." Whether they " rap" in 



172 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

the same way now or not, is known only to themselves, and 
those interested in the speculation. 

The phenomena of raps appearing to come from different 
parts of the room, are produced by the rappers precisely as 
similar phenomena are produced by the ventriloquist, viz., by 
first directing attention to the place, and then adapting the 
sounds to the place, distance, &c. 

RAPPINGS WITH THE FEET. 

At the trial of Almira Bezely, of Providence, for the murder 
of her brother, her father testified as follows : 

" She made the knocks with her feet [Mr. Bezely here described the 
mode in which the rappings were conducted]. I saw her make these 
rappings with her foot the day she was arrested. She came into the 
room where I was and confessed the murder, and asked me to forgive 
her ; she then showed me how she made the rappings, by knocking 
with her foot ; she limped a little, and said it affected her foot." — Prov- 
idence Journal, Oct. 23, 1851. 

Mr. S. B. Holliday testified : 

" I asked her if she had practiced deception. She replied that the 
rappings were an imposition, and that so far as she had any thing to do, 
they were through her instrumentality, and told me several ways in 
which she produced them. She stated to me that she produced the 
rappings with her foot and thumbs." — Ibid. 

Mrs. Remington testified : " While the rappings were going on, 
I saw the bodice of her waist shake ; I asked her if the spirits 
convulsed her; she said ' yes.' * * I visited her in prison ; 
she said she had made every rap." — Ibid. 

Coelia Bezely testified : " After her arrest, Almira told me 
she made the rappings, and explained how they were produced 
by her feet." * 

And yet this young girl, not fourteen years of ag , u .'.eeded 



* Speaking of this case, an intelligent physician of Providence, to 
whom I wrote for information, says, " I have known of several cases of 
the same kind in this State, that I have detected ; and those, too, the 
best ' mediums' that could be found." 



KAPPING- BY MACHINERY. 173 

in deceiving hundreds, and those, too, who thought they were 
above deception. Her father says, "there were many who 
c£me to see the rappings ;" another witness says, " there was 
great excitement upon the subject." 

WISEACRES DECEIVED. 

An attempt was made to prove that the rappings were not 
caused by Miss Bezely (as she solemnly affirmed), but by some 
foreign agency. It was too much for the rappers to be shown 
up as so very green. But the testimony upon that point only 
shows how easy it is for some persons, who think they are very 
shrewd, to be deceived. 

Silas Moore testified that, " Correct answers were given to 
questions which alluded to facts not within Almira's knowl- 
edge." John Allen stated several circumstances, from which 
he concluded, " that the rappings were not produced by Al- 
mira." He said, " I am a believer in the rappings. * * Do 
not consider them a deception." Stephen Weeks had " wit- 
nessed manifestations which could not have been produced by 
Almira's agency." Edward R. Mitchel " was present at the 
rappings. * * Thinks they were not a deception." Har- 
riet Allen had " witnessed manifestations which could not be 
produced by Almira. Mr. Bezely told me he had seen a spirit, 
and it was like a mouse, and run across his table when Almira 
was not present." Lucy Monroe " attended the rappings, and 
one evening watched Almira closely, and did not detect her in 
any deception." 

Now if this girl could rap thus long with her feet without 
detection, and deceive so many persons, why may not other 
and more experienced mediums do the same thing ? 

MEDIUM TABLES RAPPING BY MACHINERY. 

In other instances, the mysterious sounds are produced by 
delicate machinery concealed in the table, around which the 
mediums sit. Some time since, I was told by a friend that J//v 
Hiram Pack, a respectable manufacturer of cabinet furniture, 



174: SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

No. 488 Pearl-street, New York, had made two or three of 
these tables. When in Hartford, Ct., a few weeks afterward, 
a gentleman called me aside after one of my lectures, and in- 
formed me that application had been made to a friend of his, a 
cabinet-maker of that city, to make such a table, on condition 
that he would take a solemn oath never to divulge the secret ; 
this his friend refused to do, and consequently did not get the 
order. 

From these circumstances, I was led to believe that one 
method of making the " raps' ' was by machinery concealed in 
the table. To ascertain the facts in the case, I called upon 
Mr. Pack, in Pearl-street, to know if he had ever made any 
such tables. With a frankness that is much to his credit, and 
which proves him to have been no accomplice in the deception, 
Mr. Pack gave me the following facts, which are published by 
his consent and approbation : 

STATEMENT OF MR. PACK. 

" Having been called upon by Professor Mattison, in relation 
to certain tables made by me for parties in this city, I am free 
to state that I have made two ' medium tables' during the 
last year ; both of which had machinery concealed in them for 
producing ' raps' at the will of the operator. The beds, l£ inch 
thick, were cut out in the centre, so as to admit the machinery, 
and then carefully covered, so as to leave a hollow, and make 
the sounds louder. Wires were carried out to the legs of the 
table, inside the cover and the legs, by which the machinery 
was worked. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the machine 
and the manner of working it, to describe them in detail ; my 
business was simply to make the tables for the reception of the 
' spirits ;' and that I have done this in two instances, and am 
ready to do it in two or twenty more if I can be paid for it, I 
am willing to assert. And if people will give a dollar a- piece 
to hear a little hammer strike inside a table bed, and run crazy 
about it, it is not my fault. 

" Hiram Pack, 488 Pearl-street. 

"New York, Mar. 25, 1853." 



CONFESSION OF ANOTHER MEDIUM. 175 

Mr. Pack gave us the names of the persons for whom these 
tables were made, and of the person who put in and arranged 
the machinery ; and the time may come when it may be neces- 
sary to give these names to the public. For the present, how- 
ever, we forbear to expose them. 

The above method of producing the rappings is probably the 
one employed by Heller, when he causes the raps to be heard 
upon a board hung up by two cords in the middle of the room. 
The machinery is concealed in the board, and is worked by a 
galvanic battery in another room, through wires that are twisted 
into the cords by which the board is suspended. A circuit is 
thus formed, and the machinery worked at pleasure by a per- 
son who can hear the " medium," and operate accordingly. 

CONFESSION OF ANOTHER MEDIUM. 

The following affidavit is from Mr. Burr's pamphlet : 

"Bridgeport, Feb. 4, 1851. 

" I hereby certify that for the space of about three months, I was 
what is called a medium in the phenomena of spiritual rappings, and I 
believe that I was considered as good as any of the " mediums" in 
Bridgeport at the time. And I further declare that all the time I pro- 
duced the sounds voluntarily with my toes and shoes, and other tricks 
of art ; and the answers which I made to mental questions — in which de- 
partment I was considered most successful — were the result of close 
watching of the person's countenance, guessing, and a careful noting of 
hints inadvertently given. 

" I furthermore declare that I have seen Mrs. Porter produce the 
sounds with her feet. I also declare that while Mrs. Porter's foot was 
braced against one side of the table, I was able the better to lift it by 
acting upon the other side ; and I do solemnly declare that several 
times, both in the light and in the dark circles, I lifted and otherwise 
moved the table in this manner. 

"I also affirm that I went into this business, in the first place, to see 
if I could not myself do all that was claimed for the spirits; and after 
I had produced all the phenomena, I gave it up, and exposed it. 

" I furthermore state that while Mrs. Porter was in a pretended clair- 
voyant state, I rapped for medical prescriptions, she naming the list of 
remedies, I rapping to certain medicines which were given, as I am 
informed, with success. LEMUEL J. BEARDSLEE." 



176 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

"Fairfield County, Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 4, 1851. 
" There personally appeared before me, Lemuel J. Beardslee, and 
made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing statement and affi- 
davit. Attest, WM. H. NOBLE, Justice of Peace." 

OBSERVATIONS OF REV. MR. NOYES. 

Rev. Eli Noyes, in a letter to Mr. C. C. Burr, says : 

"I have examined sixteen cases of the rappings, all of which proved 
perfect failures. I have never heard sounds, nor seen tables move, 
which might not have been accomplished by persons in the room ; and 
whenever I have heard noises, I have detected the motions which pro- 
duced them." 

In another letter, published in the Morning Star, the same 
gentleman remarks : 

" I have heard no noises which I could not produce myself, and I 
did produce such in four different ways, so as to effectually deceive the 
whole company." 

EXPERIENCE OF THE MESSRS. BURRS. 

Mr. C. Chauncey Burr, and his brother, Heman Burr, 
Esq., have given considerable attention to the detection and 
exposure of mediums. In their expose, entitled, " Knocks for 
the Knocking s" they say : 

"In this little book will be found the history of the unmistakable 
detection and exposure of more than fifty of the pretended spiritual 
mediums. In every instance where close examinations have been al- 
lowed, fraud has been detected in producing the noises and moving 
the tables. The mediums whom I have detected were those to whom 
the rappers took me, for the purpose of convincing me of the truth of 
rapism, and were what they regarded the 'best* and * strongest.' 
The detections were made almost invariably in the presence of some of 
the more intelligent and candid believers, who are referred to as wit- 
nesses of the justice of my reports. For more than two months I have 
spent all my time examining the 'best mediums' which are to be found 
in five of the States where rapism prevails most, and in no single in- 
stance has any cause but fraud and delusion appeared behind these 
effects. * * * I can now produce ' mysterious rapping' seventeen 
different ways, which tricks I have learned by the detection of so many 
mediums." \ 



PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS. 177 

The experience of Mr. C. C. Burr with the rappers has 
probably been more extended than that of any other man in 
America, and yet such is his testimony in regard to their un- 
mitigated deceptions. 

Mr. Burr is editor of a daily paper in this city. He is un- 
impeached and unimpeachable, and is willing, at any time, to 
testify that in all cases where mediums ventured to practice in 
his presence (and they were many), he detected them in decep- 
tion. And if certain visionary people are resolved, after a 
thousand mediums have been detected in all parts of the coun- 
try, to shut their eyes to the light, stultify their common sense, 
and spend their time running after " mediums," and talking 
about their wonderful doings, it is useless to try to convince 
them of their folly. They are monomaniacs already ; and a 
few months will land many of them in the Lunatic Asylum. 

PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS. 

It was shown on page thirteen and elsewhere, that certain 
remarkable movements of ponderable bodies have occurred, 
such as the movement of tables without hands, the flight of 
persons through the air, <fec. In one instance a spirit was seen 
flying over the Washington Parade Ground in this city, with a 
child in his arms. Mr. Charles Partridge, joint-editor of the 
Telegraph, stated before a large audience in Williamsburg, at 
the close of one of my lectures, that he carried a full-grown 
man across a room seventy feet long, and back again, upon the 
tips of his fingers — Mr. P. walking on tiptoe, and the man over 
his head on his fingers' ends. In another case it is asserted 
that a large tumor was removed from the person of a lady by 
a spirit-surgeon, &c. . 

Now, if we are disposed to admit that the alleged spiritual 
phenomena have occurred, and then attempt to account for 
them on philosophical principles, we must not select the move- 
ment of tables merely, but take all the phenomena. One part 
is just as well authenticated as the other. It is somewhat re- 
markable, however, that writers who have attempted to give us 

8* 



178 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

the philosophy of these miracles, have confined themselves al- 
most exclusively to the movement of tables. But why not ex- 
plain all the phenomena if any ? Is there a doubt as to the 
truth of some of the statements ? Do the spiritists fabricate 
part of the phenomena ? What confidence, then, can be placed 
in them as to any of their feats ? 

HAVE THE PHENOMENA OCCURRED? 

For my own part I must, for the present, occupy very dif- 
ferent ground from that taken by several writers, whose works 
have just been published. If I understand them, they admit 
the alleged phenomena of spiritism, and yet they do not attempt 
to explain the more astonishing feats of the " spirits ;" from 
which it may be inferred that they meant to admit only part 
of the phenomena. But with all the light I have been able to 
gather from books, mediums, periodicals, and eye-witnesses, I 
can admit no superhuman or extraordinary manifestations. 
That tables have been moved in a mysterious manner, I have 
no doubt ; and that in all such cases they have been moved by 
human hands or feet I as firmly believe. 

When I first entered upon this investigation, I thought there 
might be some new principle in philosophy — some undeveloped 
law of nature by which a table might be magnetized, and made 
to move without muscular force ; but as I have gone on in my 
inquiries, my faith has grown less and less, till it is all gone, if 
I ever had any. It is no difficult thing to move tables, and 
perform other feats, in a way to deceive the most cautious ob- 
server, especially if a little excited. In the case of Almira 
Bezely there were plenty of physical demonstrations, which were 
regarded as altogether beyond her ability to produce ; and yet 
she confessed that she was the only a spirit" concerned in their 
production. On her trial, Coelia Bezely testified : 

" A snuff-box was mysteriously removed at one time, and professedly 
by spirits. No one understood how it was done. Almira has since 
confessed how it was done. * * * The rappings said the * spirits' 
carried it off." 



SPIRITS AT WEST WLNSTEAD. 179 

Silas Moore testified : " I went to Mr. Bezely's during the rappings ; 
saw things which could not have been caused by Almira. Among 
other things, Almira said to the spirits, 'Won't you hold the table 
down?' Turner took hold of the table, and said it was very heavy. I 
took hold of it and found it four times as heavy as I expected." And 
yet, on his cross-examination, Mr. Moore says, " I had not tried to lift 
the table before; I won't say positively that she did not touch the 
table with her feet."— Prov. Jour., Oct. 23, 1851. 

Here it is seen that Miss B. could deceive her customers just 
as well as to the "physical demonstrations" as in reference to frie 
" raps" And if she could thus easily deceive her patrons, 
why may not other and older mediums deceive theirs ? 

Whatever candid and reliable persons may have seen, or 
think they have seen, I can find no sufficient evidence that any 
new force whatever has, in any case, been brought to bear 
upon tables, or any other furniture. Their motions are always 
the work of the mediums, whether we catch them at it or not. 
But if others see fit to admit the existence of a new principle 
in philosophy, which they can not find out, I shall not quarrel 
with them, but shall leave them to discover the new motor at 
their leisure. For myself, I never look for causes, in such 
cases, till I have good evidence that the effects have been pro- 
duced. When those philosophers and others, who differ from 
me, get at the new motor, and get the laws governing it well 
defined, they will please inform me, and I will most cheerfully 
acknowledge that I have been " slow of heart to believe." 

MOVEMENT OF TABLES WEST WINSTEAD. 

While at West Winstead, Conn., in January, 1853, Rev. 
Mr. Woodruff and myself were informed by a gentleman, that 
tables had several times been magnetized in a room over his 
store, and that if we would call at three o'clock, p. m., that day, 
he would show us the phenomenon. Accordingly we called. 
There were a number of rappers present, among the rest, Mr. 
Brittan's friend, Mr. Turner. We first sat down around the 
table all together, the Rev. Mr. W., the rappers, and myself. 
After waiting some fifteen to thirty minutes without any re- 



180 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

suit, I proposed that we " skeptics" would retire and give up 
the table to the " believers. " We did so. I took my position 
where I could watch every movement. Pretty soon, the table 
began to tip ; but I saw how the requisite force was applied, 
and accused the parties on the spot of moving the table by 
physical force. This they did not deny. " That, I suppose, 
is the way it is," said one of the believers, " when we all will 
for the table to move, we involuntarily [?] apply a little mus- 
cular force." Rev. Mr. Woodruff will confirm this statement; 
and also that I made the same statement in public that even- 
ing, and called upon the spiritists who were present at the 
"circle" and also at the lecture, to correct me if I had misstated 
the facts. But, anxious as Mr. Turner was to contradict me 
on other points, neither he nor any other man opened his 
mouth. 

DETECTION IN HARTFORD. 

A scientific gentleman at Hartford informed me, while there, 
that he had detected a circle in that city moving a table or 
stand by physical force, in such a manner as to make it appear 
very mysterious. He not only detected the cheat, but pro- 
duced the same phenomena in their presence himself ; and I 
saw him make a light stand tip and whirl about most beauti- 
fully, with only the ends of his fingers upon it. 

EXPOSURE AT BURLINGTON. 

At Burlington, Vt., every effort was made to induce the 
" mediums" to appear in public, either for rappings or " physi- 
cal demonstrations," but all to no purpose. At the close of 
the second lecture, however, I was told that if I would go to 
a certain cabinet- shop in the vicinity, I should see a table 
moved by the " spirits." Accordingly some half a dozen min- 
isters and myself accompanied the man who invited us. There 
were also present perhaps twenty others, many of whom were 
believers. 

On arriving at the shop, we found a very light table lid, 
with a single support in the center, and with castors at the 



EXPOSURE AT BURLINGTON. 181 

bottom, perhaps five inches from the center, so that the slight- 
est force would tip the table over, or make it revolve on the 
castors. 

We placed ourselves about the table as directed. The first 
thing I wished to settle was, whether I could move the table 
while some sixteen hands were upon it, and no one see that I 
moved it. Very soon the table began to revolve. I yielded 
with others at first; but soon began to resist the supposed 
" spirit." Feeling the resistance, he at once changed the direc- 
tion of the table, and it began to move the other way. I then 
took it into my own hands altogether, willing it to go this way 
and that ; and asking others to will it in the same way ; and it 
always obeyed our wills, because I always moved it as I willed 
it to go ; and no one could detect me. I then informed the 
" circle" that thus far I had been the chief moving "spirit," 
and that I had now shown that if there was one deceiver in a 
circle, he could hoax all the rest, and they not detect him. 

I then asked one after another to leave the table, and kept 
perfectly "passive" myself, till I detected the very man who 
made the table, and invited me to see it " revolve," moving it 
with his own strength, by his hands laid on the top of my own. 
I told him and the spectators at once that I had discovered 
the " spirit," and was ready to make oath to the fact ; where- 
upon, Mr. simply replied, that if it was so, he was not 

conscious of it : and so the matter was left for that night. 

The next morning I called again, and found the believers 
assembled as the evening before ; but after having waited about 
an hour, with no new results (except that several who had been 
duped seemed to concede the point, and were much more soft 
and pleasant than they were the night before, while I was 
publicly exposing the deception), I left. The humbug was 
fairly unveiled, and I think must have died in Burlington from 
that hour. 

For the truth of the above statements I refer to Revs. 
Dodgson and Witherspoon of Burlington ; Rev. Mr. Stillman, of 
Shelburne; and other Methodist ministers of the Burlington 
district, who were present. 



182 SPIRIT-KAPPING UNVEILED. 



A CHALLENGE TO THE "SPIRITS." 

While Mr. Burr was in Providence exposing the rappers, he 
published the following in the Daily Post of that city : 

"Will the Spirits move the Table? — Having in every instance de- 
tected the physical cause of the various manifestations called spiritual 
rappings, whenever I have been allowed the privilege of making a 
thorough examination, and still hearing of most marvelous accounts of 
various articles of furniture being moved without any possible known 
physical cause, I have deposited fifty dollars in the hands of Clement 
Webster, Esq., which shall be given to any medium who will produce 
in my presence any form of such manifestations, for which I cannot de- 
tect a known physical cause. The examination shall take place in some 
parlor in which the medium is a stranger, and a committee of gentle- 
men of candor, known to the whole community, shall be selected fro*2 
the learned professions of this city, to decide upon the results of ths 
investigation. Heman Burr." 

" Monday, March 3d." 

" And although," says Mr. Burr, " nearly every medium in the cit} 
was rapping for money, at the charge of fifty cents a head, not one dart 
accept the challenge." 

What better proof do we want that they were a set of deceiv- 
ers, like all the rest of the " mediums," and dared not submit to 
any such test, from a consciousness of their guilt. 

REPORT OF A COMMITTEE. 

The following Report of a Committee appointed to investigate 
the causes of the so-called spiritual phenomena, was published 
in the Brooklyn Daily Advertiser, of March 10, 1853 : 

" Spiritual Manifestations — To the Public. — We, the undersigned, 
appointed by the audience at Stuyvesant Institute, on Tuesday evening, 
at Professors Barnes and Owens' lectures, to examine the Spiritual 
Manifestations privately, which they were exhibiting publicly, did, on 
this day at 3 o'clock, p. m., proceed to the private rooms of Professor 
Barnes, at Hungerford's Hotel, and there tested the truthfulness of 
sundry experiments represented to be by the agency of spirits, and after 
mature deliberation, make the following report : 

" First. That the physical force in moving, sliding, and tipping tables 
was nothing more than mechanical. 



ANOTHER CHALLENGE. 183 

" Second. That the testing experiment promised in relation to spirit- 
ual force, physically, was refused. 

" Third. That the mental responses were in no instance correct. 

"Fourth. That from the undue degree of mental excitement on the 
part of the mediums, in the exhibition of what is purported to be 
Spiritual Manifestations, conditions of the nervous system abnormally 
occurred, which must in the nature of things, if persisted in, produce a 
lamentable relation between their minds and bodies ; and that nothing 
whatever was done but what we, who are not mediums, can and did 
perform by voluntary force. 

" That we look upon these Spiritual Manifestations as being fraught 
with mental and physical influences which cannot be attended with 
the least good to the human race, but on the contrary, must cause the 
most direful results upon many of those who may follow this delusion, 
and give themselves up as agents for its promulgation. 

" B. Brown Williams, No. 506 Broadway, 
Jas. K. Magie, 149 Carll-st., Brooklyn, 
Samuel M. Wood, 252 Broadway, 
John B. Brown, 277 Fulton-st., Brooklyn, 

" Committee." 

DR. REESE ANOTHER CHALLENGE. 

In the February number of Dr. Reese's Medical Gazette, he 
thus speaks of the rappers : 

"They have gone on from one imposture to another, from rapping 
and alphabets when these become stale, to bell-ringing, table-moving, 
singing, dancing, writing, discerning spirits, healing diseases, revealing 
truths and denouncing errors in religion, morals, science, and philosophy, 
and all professedly from the ghosts of the departed. And the public 
press has done, and is still doing much to perpetuate the iniquity, by 
recording as facts the most absurd of these stories." 

After alleging that in all cases where tables are moved, they 
are moved by the mediums themselves, the doctor adds : 

"If anybody alleges the contrary, we have a small table in our office 
on which we write, and we offer one hundred dollars to any ghost or 
medium, from this world or the other, who will move it an inch in 
daylight by any supernatural, spiritual, magnetic, or electrical influence, 
which shall be invisible and intangible to our own optics ; and they 
may sit around it for a month." * * 

But do the spirits attempt to move the doctor's table ? No, 



IS! SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

indeed ! And why not ? Simply because Dr. Reese's office 
is a bad place to carry on the fraud, and Dr. Reese is the 
wrong man to be gulled by their impositions. 

CHALLENGE TO MR. PARTRIDGE. 

In the month of March, 1851, Mr. Heman Burr sent the 
following note to Mr. Partridge, then secretary of a circle in 
this city : 

"Mr. Charles Partridge: 

"In order to have an opportunity of examining the medium con- 
cerning whom you write such miraculous things, I will deposit in the 
hands of an impartial committee the sum of fifty dollars, which shall 
be paid over to you whenever the medium will produce, in my pres 
ence, any manifestation for which I can not detect a physical cause 
and trick. Or, I will write and seal up a series of questions, and if 
the medium, or the spirits, will answer one of them correctly, I will 
pay the same amount, which shall be disposed of by you, for the ben- 
efit of the medium, or for the spread of Rapism, or for any object of 
charity which you may please to name. The committee shall be mu- 
tually agreed upon ; and the investigation shall take place in some 
parlor where the medium is a stranger, between the hours of ten a. m. 
and three p. m. You will perceive that I do not offer to bet this amount, 
but I offer it as a free donation to any object worthy of your charity. 
If the medium can stand the tests by which I have detected nearly 
fifty other mediums, she will vindicate the cause of Rapism, convince 
many people who now honestly believe the whole pretense is an im 
position, and contribute something to some worthy cause of charity. 
If she is detected in producing the manifestations by tricks of art, 
many honest people may have their eyes opened to the fact that they 
have been deceived and deluded. Truth and justice is my object. 

" Heman Burr. 
"New York, March Uth, 1851." 

This proposition to test the powers of Mr. Partridge's " me- 
diums" was never answered, only as the Rappers replied orally 
here and there, " The spirits won't be challenged ;" " the spirits 
won't allow themselves to be doubted ;" " the spirits have no 
anxiety to convince skeptics," &c. What a miserable subterfuge 
for any sensible man to hide under ! Why not confess the 
truth as it really is — " My ' mediums' are hoaxing their thou- 



SPIRITS ADVERTISING. 185 

sands at a a dollar a head, and I have no disposition to spoil a 
profitable business ?" 

MONEY ASPECTS OF SPIRITISM. 

The two great motive powers of the spirit humbug are 
cupidity and infidelity. The latter has already been exhib- 
ited, and the former stands out prominently in all their opera- 
tions. The " Fox family" (now Mrs. Brown and Margaretta 
Fox) live in a fine house in Twenty-sixth-street in this city, and 
are getting rich at the expense of their deluded visitors. Par- 
tridge and Brittan seem to have an interest in the concern, and 
puff it lustily in the " Telegraph,' ' by publishing the miracles 
that occur there. So flourishing is Mrs. Brown's business, 
that a writer in the 38th number of the "Telegraph" says, 
" It is impossible for her to give that attention to all that they 
and the subject demand." Further on the same writer says, 
" Some of the best mediums have been actually bought up and 
appropriated to private use, thus burying their talent in the 
love of self," &c. But who are those a best mediums" that 
have been " bought up ?" Has Mrs. Brown been bought up 
in this way by Partridge and Brittan? From the interest 
manifested in her establishment, it seems most probable that 
they are part owners in the concern. 

SPIRITS ADVERTISING. 

It is somewhat amusing to see how adroitly the writing me- 
diums manage to advertise their books in the name of the 
" spirits." Mr. Harshman's spirits are careful to speak of his 
"future work," p. 42 ; the "spirits" in Philadelphia speak of 
" the next volume, the publication of which is had in anticipa- 
tion, which is designed to contain a higher order of communica- 
tions," p. 95 ; and Mr. Ambler's spirits say that " from time 
to time other works of greater value and importance than this 
will be written with his hand and published to the world," 
p. 16. Mr. Hammond says, p. 9, "The spirits propose to 
write another volume, and when it is written, it will be pub- 
lished ;" and on page 259, the " spirits" say, " when this me- 



186 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

dium shall wait for us, &c, I will write another book." These 
extracts show that the " spirits'' are very anxious that the 
dupes of the imposition shall be ready for the new ghost-books, 
as soon as they appear. 

"mediums wanted." 

The following advertisement recently appeared in the Tele- 
graph : 

" Mediums wanted immediately. — One good medium for the rappings, 
and for illustrations of spiritual power, as seen in the movement of pon- 
derable objects and other physical effects. Also, one writing medium, 
who is in the constant habit of receiving reliable communications ; and 
one spiritual clairvoyant or seer, who can diagnose disease correctly, 
and prescribe remedies with precision — are wanted in this city. Each 
must be equal to the best of his or her class : such as fall short of the 
prescribed standard need not apply. Any who may answer the^de- 
scription, and would be willing to remove to this city, may advance the 
cause of spiritualism and promote their interests, by making immediate 
application. Address this office." 

Take also the following, from different papers in this city : 

" Spiritual Mission. — Three mediums on a spiritual mission to this city 
for a few days, now stopping at Hungerford's Hotel, in Duane-street, 
near Hudson-street. They will examine diseases, and prescribe for the 
same. Price $2 ; for spiritual investigations $1." — Tribune, Feb. 3, 1853. 

" Spiritual Notice. — I feel it my duty as a medium to state to the 
public that I have investigated the spiritual rappings, and do say that 
it is spirits, and can prove it to any reasonable mind, at No. 168 Duane- 
street." — Tribune. " H. Burkhart." 

" Spiritual Rappings, at Stuy vesant Institute, from half-past two to 
five o'clock every afternoon this week, as there will be a circle formed 
on the stage. Admission twenty-five cents. People wishing to consult 
with the mediums can see them at No. 168 Duane-street." — Tribune. 

" Spiritual Manifestations. — Mrs. A. L. Coan, declared to be the best 
medium, for rapping and writing by the influence of departed spirits, 
in Boston, will receive company for sittings every day in the week, 
from nine o'clock a. m. till ten p. m. Rooms No. 8 Howard-street, op- 
posite the Athenaeum. Sittings fifty cents each. Mrs. Coan will give 
sittings in the house of any person who may apply." — Boston Herald^ 
Feb. 15. 



A SPIRIT MEDICINE. 187 

Speaking of a convention of rappers, held in Boston, in Dec, 
1852, a writer in the Christian Advocate and Journal, who was 
present, says : 

" These folks seem to want money, and so one of them gets up in the 
convention and says, ' A certain book is for sale* at such a place. 
Another says, ' Here are a few copies of the New Era for gratuitous dis- 
tribution ; I should be glad to take the names of any who wish to sicb- 
scribe.' Another says, ' A meeting of the spiritualists will be held at 
such a place, where they sometimes have manifestations ; admittance 
one dollar.' Another tells us of 'a lady who, if any one will write a 
word, seal it, and send it to her, she will place it on her forehead, and 
tell the character of the person who wrote the word.' She charges two 
dollars." 

This last-named lady is a Mrs. Metier, of Hartford, whose 
advertisement stands out so prominently in all the spirit papers. 
She will look through you, discover your disease, and pre- 
scribe, for $5 ; or for $10, if you are absent and will send her a 
lock of your hair and the money. And so with a score of other 
" clairvoyants.'' 

A SPIRIT MEDIQINE. 

A certain Dr. Underhill, of Ohio, communicates to the Cleve- 
land Plaindealer, a "remarkable discovery." It is in substance 
that in the town of Pine Grove, Warren county, Pa., has been 
discovered a new " fountain of health," called Aqua PetraVitw, 
or the "rock-water of life." The doctor informs his readers 
that it was discovered " by direction of spirits," and belongs to 
John Chase and Wm. Brittingham. He gives the modus ope- 
randi of the discovery — the proprietors boring in a certain 
place a certain number of feet, &c. 

The " gist" of the discovery is contained in the following par- 
agraph : _^ 

" This remedy will be found only in the hands of spiritualists, to be 
dealt out under spirit direction. Having made arrangements for a 
constant supply, those who desire health without the effect of drugs, 
will be able to obtain it by the proper use of these preparations." 

It is to be hoped that Messrs. Partridge and Brittan will 
order a supply at once, to be prescribed by the " spiritualists' ' 



188 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

of this region. How very kind the "spirits" are to their 
mediums, to furnish them with so many extraordinary facilities 
for making money ! 

We have now before us a full view of the whole matter — its 
origin, progress, character, and terrible effects. And such a 
system of fraud and deception — such a deep-laid plot for strik- 
ing a heavy blow at revealed religion — such a blending of every 
species and shade of infidelity — such unblushing hypocrisy, 
falsehood, and detraction as are resorted to to keep up the de- 
lusion, were, perhaps, never before witnessed. Andit is evidently 
the design of the infidel editors and book-makers, and the money- 
making mediums, to keep agitating, by every means in their 
power, whatever may be the consequences. It is a question, 
therefore, for ever^ reader to decide what course he ought to 
pursue in regard to this terrible scourge. 



CONCLUSION. 

That the reader is by this time fully satisfied of the fraudu- 
lent and infidel character of the spirit-rapping movement, I 
have no doubt. And you may be not only willing but anxious 
to do all in your power to stay the plague ; and may be even 
now asking yourself, " what shall I do ?" Allow me, then, as 
one who has seen the working of the system, and knows the 
persons engaged in it, and the means by which they live and 
carry forward their work of death, to offer a few suggestions. 
And first, 

KEEP AWAY FROM THE "MEDIUMS." 

Keep away from all their circles and lectures. By going to 
them you give your money and influence to sustain a sys- 
tematic onset upon the Bible, the Christian Religion, the Sab- 
bath, the Christian Ministry, the Government of your Country, 
the Marriage Institution ; and every thing else that the wise 
and good of all ages have regarded as sacred. " Avoid the very 
appearance of evil." " Let not your good be evil spoken of." 



CONCLUSION. 189 

Keep away, and keep your children away. One of their chosen 
schemes is to awaken curiosity, and then cry " investigate ;" and 
if you will only attend their circles at a dollar a visit, for the 
purpose of " investigating," their end is accomplished. They 
have your money, and your example to induce others to go and 
pay their money. 

The following: excellent remarks are from the Christian In- 
telligencer : 

"For those already involved in it we fear there is no recovery. Ex- 
perience teaches that usually in such cases there is no change save from 
bad to worse. The mind becomes unsettled, its power of discrimination 
is weakened and blunted, and it loses the capacity of rendering a reason 
or weighing an objection. Sometimes sovereign grace interposes and 
snatches the victims as brands from the burning, but for the most part 
these dupes of a strong delusion become more and more deeply involved 
in error, until in another world the shades of eternal night settle around 
them. 

" But while little or nothing can be done in the way of cure, much 
may be effected in the way of prevention, and this by the application 
of one simple scriptural rule. We have it in the words of Paul (Ephes. 
v. 11), "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but 
rather reprove them." If the Christians and professed believers in the 
Bible, who abound in this land, were to keep steadily aloof from all 
these mystery-mongers, and to refuse to seek or to heed any spirit but 
the Spirit of God authentically revealed and confirmed, the number of 
dupes would be rapidly diminished. It is the countenance given by a 
few persons of high character and general information which entice 
multitudes of lesser note into the vortex of error. 

" It is, therefore, the imperative duty of all, and especially of God's 
people, to frown upon these proceedings, to refuse to attend, under any 
pretext, on a ' medium' or a * circle,' and to warn others against such a 
course, as not only foolish, but sinful and dangerous. There is no need 
of arguing the question. These ' spiritual' disclosures are inconsistent 
with the great and final disclosures contained in the word of God, and 
no man can consistently hold both. The point, therefore, is decided in 
limine. Nothing can be gained by listening to these people 'that have 
a familiar spirit,' but much, very much may be lost. Even a mere 
curiosity which treads on hazardous ground and sets a bad example to 
others, is not innocent, and should be checked. In short, there is but 
one rule for these and all other errorists, however specious, and that is 
the emphatic injunction already quoted : ' Have no fellowship with the 
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.'' " 



190 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

THE G H S T-B OOKS AND PAPERS. 

Beware of their books and papers. Keep them from your 
family — out of your house. " The poison of asps is under their 
tongue." A single paper may ruin a child into whose hands 
it might fall. You may have ghost-books offered to you, and 
tracts and papers sent you gratuitously ; but beware ! If you 
are solicited to take a paper, look closely and see that it is not 
one of the rapper papers. If you must read one or the other, 
you had better read Tom Paine's " Age of Reason" than any 
spirit paper I know of. It is less insinuating and sophistical, 
and would be less likely to ruin the soul forever. 

A WORD TO MINISTERS. 

If you are a minister, and this delusion is talked of among 
your people, or in the community where you labor, warn them 
of the sword coming ! Is it not your duty to do it ? You 
may think it too low for your notice ; but is any sin, any decep- 
tion, or phase of infidelity too low to be exposed, if it ruin souls 
for whom Christ died ? Here is an open war upon the Bible 
and the Christian religion, and shall the watchmen on the walls 
of Zion remain silent and unmoved ? 

You may think the best way to cure error is to let it alone 
This was not the method of the prophets, nor of Christ or his 
apostles. Neither has it been the method pursued by those who 
have done most for the cause of God in past ages. And be- 
sides, many of us were asked at our ordination, " Will you be 
ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all 
erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word ?" &c. ; 
to which we answered, " I will, the Lord being my helper." 
And shall we now prove recreant to our trust, break our vows, 
and adopt the sickly policy of correcting error by letting it 
alone ? God forbid ! Let the trumpet be blown in Zion. Let 
the churches know the character of this " spirit" movement before 
it gets into their midst. It is far easier to keep the tares out 
of the field by a timely warning, than to root them up once they 
are fairly sown. May the Lord help his ministers to acquit 



CONCLUSION. 191 

themselves like men, and to unveil this specious infidel delusion 
to the gaze and scorn of all good men. 

THE PRESS. 

I would earnestly intreat the periodical press throughout the 
country, to join us in our efforts to stay this moral pestilence. 
From week to week your exchanges have brought you the tidings 
of its ravages in all parts of the land. You have generally set 
your faces against it. But can you not do more by refusing to 
publish any of their pretended revelations, or to describe their 
alleged miracles ? Will not the secular as well as the religious 
press give us your powerful influence, as you have generally 
done, in favor of the Bible and the faith of the gospel ? We look 
to you with confidence, and trust that you will not cease to 
denounce the instigators and managers of this diabolical plot, 
till there shall not be a necromancer to move his tongue in all 
our borders. 

A WORD TO MEDIUMS. 

It is not improbable that this work will be read by some 
who have been seduced into this wicked movement, and have 
little by little consented to take part in the circles, till at length 
they have become " mediums." Let me entreat such to for- 
sake the circles at once, and visit them no more. Up to this 
point you may not have been aware of the character of the 
movement, and consequently are comparatively innocent ; but 
now you cannot plead ignorance. To go a step further is openly 
to countenance and encourage the avowed enemies of Christ, 
and to sin against God and your own soul. If you profess re- 
ligion, let me entreat you, by the love of Christ, to cut loose 
from this deadly movement. Your character is at stake ; your 
reason in jeopardy ; and your soul in imminent peril ! It is not 
yet too late to retrieve what you have lost. 

O my brother ! my sister ! burn up those ghost-books and 
papers ; forsake the " circles," and betake yourself to the 
blessed Bible, the social religious meeting, and the people of 
God. Here is your only safety. And remember, you are now 



192 SPIRIT-RAPPING UNVEILED. 

faithfully warned ! If you pass on, decline in piety, become an 
infidel, die in sin, perhaps become insane or commit suicide, and 
go to hell at last, your blood is upon your own head. Merci- 
ful God ! should these lines be read by any " medium," male or 
female, young or old, in city or country, apply and enforce the 
warning Thyself, by the sacred influence of Thy Holy Spirit, 
that they may return from their error to Thee, the only living 
and true God, before it is too late forever ! 



I have now done with the expose, and have only to request 
that the reader, if he owns this volume, will hand it to his neigh- 
bor, and let it be read from house to house. Especially send it 
to those Christians, if you know any such, who are half dis- 
posed to believe there is something in the pretended " manifes- 
tations,' ' and that perhaps the spirits of the dead are actually 
communicating with this world. Send such the book to read. 
By so doing you may help to stay the plague, arrest the spread 
of infidelity, and save immortal souls for whom Christ died. 
And " let him know that he which converteth the sinner from 
the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide 
a multitude of sins" 



Now unto Him that died for us, and rose again — the 
only wise God our Saviour — to Him be glory in the 
church thoughout all ages, world without end. amen 



THE END. 



APPENDIX. 



CHAPTER I. 



REPLIES TO MY REVIEWERS. 

A second edition of this work being called for, I avail 
myself of the occasion to add several pages of new matter, 
bringing down the history of this grand delusion to the pre- 
sent date. In so doing I shall of course pay my respects to 
my Reviewers, and shall notice some of the explanations of 
the pretended phenomena that have appeared since the pre- 
ceding was published. I shall also adduce still further proof 
that the whole movement is, in every case, either a stupen- 
dous delusion, or an unmitigated fraud. But I will first 
notice my reviewers. 

THE "SPIRITUAL TELEGRAPH." 

While the book was in press I was frequently in the office 
of Messrs. Partridge & Brittan, proprietors of the " Spiritual 
Telegraph." On several occasions the young men in the 
office expressed their impatience to see the book, and observed 
that it would help the cause of " Spiritualism " — that they 
should sell it, and should probably retail more than the pub- 
lishers themselves. I mentioned the circumstance to Messrs. 

9 



194 



APPENDIX. 



Mason Brothers — the publishers — and they at once sent down 
an advertisement for the Telegraph, paying for it in advance, 
and taking a receipt. 

At length the book appeared, and a copy was sent to Mr. 
Brittan, with other editors, for the customary notice. The 
first week passed, and no notice appeared ; and what was 
more singular, the advertisement, which had been received 
and paid for, did not appear. A second paper came out ; but 
still no notice, no advertisement. Thinking the book miofht 
have failed to reach Mr. Brittan, the publishers dispatched a 
clerk with a second copy, with orders to be sure that it went 
to the Editor of the Telegraph. Meanwhile not a copy of the 
book was ordered by Partridge & Brittan to sell again, 
though they were selling by hundreds and thousands else- 
where. 

A third Telegraph appeared, and still no notice of the book, 
and no advertisement. Learning this, my publishers sent 
down a messenger to ascertain why the advertisement was 
not inserted according to agreement. On asking the ques- 
tion he was told that it was not in harmony with their busi- 
ness to advertise books against their views, or to that effect ; 
and was persuaded to take back the money previously paid 
for the advertisement. 

A short time after, passing the office, I dropped in, and 
inquired if Mr. B. had not received a copy of the book. I 
was answered in the affirmative, and told, as a reason why 
the notice did not appear, that " Professor Brittan v was pre- 
paring an extended and thorough Review, that would probably 
annihilate both me and my book. Anxious to see what he 
would attempt to do with my facts and arguments, I waited 
patiently till May 14, 1853, — (about two weeks longer) — 
when the mountain in labor brought forth the following 
magnificent " mouse !" It appeared among the " Literary 
Notices " in the Telegraph of that date. 



PROFESSOR BRITTAN's REVIEW. 195 



PROFESSOR BRITTANS ANNIHILATING REVIEW. 

After giving the title of the book, Mr. Brittan proceeds : — - 

a We have here the printed version of the author's recent lectures 
against Spiritualism, delivered in Newark, N. J., New York City, West 
Winsted and Hartford, Conn., Springfield, Mass., somewhere in Ver- 
mont, and in the Canadas, and which have gained for the writer the 
unenviable reputation of being profoundly indifferent with respect to the 
accuracy of his statements. When the Professor, for the safety of the 
Church and twenty-five cents apiece from his hearers, proposed to 
enlighten this city, we employed a reporter, but the lectures proved to 
\>e so barren of interest, so utterly destitute of good sense, and withal 
so foolish in their details, that we have not been able to make any use 
of the report. The whole effort was prompted, ostensibly, by ignorance 
and egotism, having for their objects personal notoriety and money. 
Deeming it a pity that one who was a professor of religion and astro- 
nomy, and who claimed to have achieved some honor, as well in the 
study of the exact sciences as in the practice of correct morals, should 
keep on repeating his blunders and selling his miserable caricatures of 
the truth for two shillings, to the scandal of science and religion, we 
frankly told the professor that his specific statements of alleged facts, 
at least so far as they had any relation to us, were either wholly untrue, 
or so entirely perverted as to have the effect of falsehood on the public 
mind. We also offered to satisfy the author on this point, but our ser- 
vices were not required. Of course the author of the astronomy for the 
use of schools, and the preacher of evangelical and biblical Spiritualism, 
did not require any knowledge of the facts in the case. And so he went 
on his mission with precisely that measure of information which would 
best subserve his purpose 

"The secular press spoke of the lectures as a mere catchpenny affair, 
designed to ridicule and misrepresent the whole subject. The Hartford 
Times, Williamsburgh Times, the papers where he lectured in "Vermont, 
and elsewhere, all concurred in so regarding them. But still he went 
his way, in the insulted name of religion, repeating the same silly anec- 
dotes, and personal abuse of those who believed in the Spiritual phe- 
nomena. If any statement was proved to be untrue — as was the case 
at Williamsburgh, where he was confronted before the audience by one 
whom he had slandered — it made no sort of difference. If the press 
exposed his self-conceit and ignorance of the whole matter, it was all 
the same; he went on to repeat the identical statements again, in some 
other place, and all in the name and for the sake of the Church. The 
divinity of the schools was, he believed, liable to be corrupted by false 
doctrines, and to preserve it in its purity he was willing to encounter 
all this opposition of the press, 

" As if divinity had catch'd 
The itch on purpose to be scratch'd." 

" At length we have the whole thing printed, with illustrations on 
wood, appropriate to the general design and character of the work, and 



196 APPENDIX. 



those who wish can have the Professor's whole course for seventy-five 
cents. The picture on the seventy-second page is thought to favor our 
astronomical friend. Some have conjectured that the author furnished 
the artist with his model, and this suspicion is strengthened by the 
close proximity of a certain mythological personage who stands behind 
the writer, and from whom the latter probably derived his information. 
It is worthy of remark, that the- mysterious personage referred to, is 
alleged to have been the author of all such oblique statements, as this 
book contains, from the beginning. The work is, for the reasons indi- 
cated, beneath criticism." 



REPLY TO MR. BRITTAN. 

Up to the time of the appearance of the above, I had sup- 
posed that among the numerous independent facts alleged in 
the book, many of which were obtained from, others, there 
might be found a few mistakes or errors, that could be 
specifically pointed out. And knowing that Mr. B. had 
time, ability and disposition, I really supposed he would, at 
least, assail some one of the alleged facts specifically, and 
attempt to refute a few of the arguments. What was my 
surprise, therefore, to read such a tissue of ridicule, slander 
and falsehood, as I have reprinted above ; instead of a can- 
did and dignified attempt to refute my reasonings ! What 
a production after such an effort ! Who does not see, from 
the whole tenor of this notice, that Mr. B. had tried in vain to 
answer the book for several weeks, but utterly failed, 
and concluded to dispatch it with a few sweeping and 
general charges, and let it pass as unanswerable. He could 
answer Dr. Dods and Dr. Butler ; but " Spirit Rapping 
Unveiled " was too staunch a book for his sophistry to grapple 
with. 

Mark how he sneers at it as a small affair, replete with 
" ignorance" and " egotism," and unworthy of notice. Why, 
then, did he refuse to let his readers know that such a book 
was in existence, till he was absolutely obliged to '{ Why did 



REPLY TO MR. BRITTAN. 197 

he not insert the advertisement for which he had received 
pay ? Why did he not decline the advertisement, if at all, 
before he read the book ? Obviously for this reason : he had 
learned that the facts and arguments of the book were 
unanswerable — that it would work injury to his "craft" 
wherever it went; and that it would never do to have it 
circulated, unanswered as it must be, among his deluded 
followers. 

But there are a few points in this remarkable production 
worthy of special notice. 

1. It will be seen that Mr. B. represents it as consisting 
only of certain " Lectures," which I had delivered here and 
there. So far is this from being true, that not one quarter of 
the book was ever delivered in the shape of lectures, in any 
instance whatever. 

2. He charges that these lectures were delivered as a 
speculation, to make money. It is true that I delivered two 
lectures, in various places, in the fall of 1852 ; one on " The 
Intermediate state ; or, the Soul between Death and the 
Resurrection ;" and the other on " Modern Necromancy ; or, 
Pretended Intercourse with the Dead? They were first 
delivered in the city of Newark, N. J., under the following 
circumstances : — 

Lectures in Newark, New Jersey. 

The ladies of the City Mission in Newark, resolved upon a 
course of lectures in one of the churches of the city, and 
invited me to deliver one of the five, constituting the course. 
I accepted the invitation ; and gave one of the above as the 
subject. As the time drew on, I was written to, and informed 
that considerable interest prevailed in regard to the forth- 
coming lecture ; and asked if I could not divide it, and give 
them two instead of one. To this, also, I consented, and the 
two lectures were prepared and delivered accordingly. 



198 APPENDIX. 

How much the funds of the Newark City Misionaries were 
assisted by these lectures, I know not (though they were well 
attended), but this I know, that one dollar is all I ever 
received for the two lectures ; and that is just twenty-five 
cents less than my expenses out, in going and coming. I 
might have received a compensation for my services had I 
desired it ; but I did not ; and was satisfied to help arrest 
a ruinous delusion ; and serve the cause of God meanwhile by 
obtaining funds for a mission, without any other reward. So 
much for the money consideration, in the getting up and first 
delivery of the lectures. 

Lectures in Broadway Tabernacle, New- York. 

Not long after the delivery of the lectures in Newark, the 
superintendent of the Sabbath School of the John street M. E. 
Church, in New York (Mr. William "Price), requested me to 
deliver a lecture or two in that church (of which I was then 
pastor), for the benefit of the funds of the Sabbath School. 
Of course I consented, and after talking the matter over, it 
was concluded that the subjects treated at Newark were the 
best that could be selected for John street. Accordingly, the 
two lectures were announced to be delivered in the John 
street Church. But as the time drew on, considerable interest 
was manifested, and it was thought necessary to charter the 
Tabernacle, in order to accommodate the people. All this 
was done by others. I had nothing to do with the getting 
up of the lectures at the Tabernacle, more than to deliver 
them gratuitously ; and I have never known, from that day 
to this, whether the Committee made fifty or five hundred 
dollars by them. So much for the Broadway Tabernacle 
lectures, " for personal notoriety and money." 

Soon after these Tabernacle lectures, I had invitations from 
various parts of the country to lecture. Some of these I 
accepted, anc 1 in a few instances, received more than my 



REPLY TO MR. BRITTAN. 199 

expenses; but put it all together, first and last, I never 
received fifty dollars, over and above expenses, for all the 
lectures I ever delivered; and what I did receive was, in 
nearly every case, a gratuity ; without any understanding 
that I should be paid for my services.* 

Now, with these honest, naked facts before him, what does 
the reader think of Mr. Brittan's justice and veracity ? I 
have referred to parties, that he may disprove my statements 
if he can ; and until he does so, he must stand impeached 
before all honorable men, as a defeated " Professor of Spirit- 
rapping," unable to answer his opponent, and obliged to 
substitute libel for argument. 

3. Mr. Brittan conveys the idea that he had a report of my 
lecture, but was not able to make any use of it. It is true 
that he employed a reporter, and was to give him $20 for a 
report of my lectures ; the design obviously being to review 
them, and publish the lectures, with his review, to make 
money. At the close of the first lecture, a reporter requested 
my manuscript, from which to correct his report for one of 
the daily papers. The next day, I learned that he had 
obtained it to copy for Mr. Brittan ; and to head off the 
piracy, I at once had a title-page set up, covering the 
lectures, and got them copy-righted. I then took one of the 
title-pages, and went to Mr. B.'s office, and laid it on his 

* A gentleman then in Washington offered me $100 if I would spend 
a week between that city and Baltimore, and lecture in each of those 
cities ; but I did not go ; so I had neither personal notoriety nor money 
in that case. But why does Mr. B. resort to such puerile misrepre- 
sentations ? Suppose I lectured for money : does that prove that my 
facts and arguments can be overthrown? And is it such a terrible 
offence to lecture, even for pay? Was not Mr. Brittan lecturing for 
"public notoriety and money : ' all that winter? and has he not been at 
it ever since? How often has he advertised himself for patronage as a 
lecturer since ? and gone out, and lectured for pay, and sold books, 
and got subscribers to his paper into the bargain? How very spiritual 
and consistent, to attempt to scandalize an opponent, by charging him 
with what he has not done; and doing the same thing openly, from 
month to month, for years together himself. 



200 APPENDIX. 

desk, informing his clerks that the lectures were copy- 
righted, and that he must not publish them without my 
consent. 

Soon after I left, the reporter went in with his copy of my 
lecture, all written out, to receive his $20 from Mr. B.; but 
seeing the title-page lying upon the desk, and learning what 
had transpired, he concluded it would not be best for him to 
deliver his manuscript. He accordingly retained it, and in a 
short time after, I met him in William street with it in his 
hand. I informed him of Mr. B.'s design, and of my objec- 
tions, when he- at once tore up the manuscript in my presence, 
and scattered it to the winds. He then apologised for what 
he had done, by saying he was not aware that it would be 
disagreeable to myself; gave back the copy of my lecture, 
and there the matter ended. And now, Mr. B. pretends that 
he had a copy of the lectures ! But I aver that he has not, 
and never had a copy of either of them. He tried to get 
them in a most dishonorable way, to publish them for gain, 
without my consent, but failed ; and yet pretends that he 
succeeded in getting the copy, but declined to publish the 
lectures for other reasons ! ! 

But suppose all he says about the lectures is true — that he 
had a copy of them, and they were "utterly destitute of com- 
mon sense," and " foolish in their details." Is anybody so 
foolish as to believe that he would have failed to publish 
them, and expose their want of sense ? The weaker they 
were, the easier for him to review and refute, if he ever had 
the lectures. If, therefore, he ever had the lectures, it is 
certain that he could not answer them, and for that reason 
alone, did not publish them. But it was the booh, and not 
the lectures, that he really had, but could not answer. Mr. 
Brittan never saw any report of the lectures, except the brief 
sketches that appeared in the daily papers ; and I challenge 
hiur ^o produce any other. 



REPLY TO MR. BRITTAN. 201 

4. All that Mr. B. says about " frankly telling the Pro- 
fessor " so and so, is pure romance. ISTo such conversation 
ever occurred, unless it was between the " Professor of Spirit- 
rapping" and some of his spirits. Though he did wince 
terribly under the lectures delivered at Newark, as orally 
reported to him, he never mentioned a single fact, either in 
relation to himself or others, that he claimed had been per- 
verted. All this is simple moonshine, thrown in to help him 
out in the difficult task of noticing a book which he could not 
answer. 

5. In support of the above flat denial, I will refer to the 
tone of the notice under consideration. Mark its broad 
charges of misrepresentation, perversion and falsehood, and 
yet, not the first specification is given to support these 
libelous charges. If there had been one instance of mis- 
representation or falsehood, by which Mr. B. could have 
impeached the book, does anybody suppose he would have 
omitted to cite it ? He would have given fifty dollars twice 
told for such an instance ; but for want of it, he makes his 
assertion ; sticks it up upon stilts, and leaves it there, not only 
without a shadow of support, but with evidence in the very- 
article itself, that what he affirms is not true. The failure 
to cite a single instance of the alleged misrepresentation or 
falsehood, is proof positive that he could find no such instance. 
If he could, let him do it now, or else meet the just scorn of 
all honorable men. 

Leaving the balance of "Professor Brittan's" annihilator — 
the flings at "religion" and "the Church," and the very- 
classical quotation about "the itch" — I will only add, that 
nearly all he has ever published in his paper respecting 
myself, is precisely of the same type — more falsehood than 
truth. Such is his statement about my being con- 
fronted in Williamsburgh ; such was his story about my 
agreeing to go to a circle, and to publish the proceedings in 

9* 



202 APPENDIX. 

my book ; such was his libel upon Dr. Tyng ; and such, 
indeed, is the general character of the paper. And such 
being the case, I have already bestowed too much attention 
upon it. 

The New York Tribune. 

The Tribune, it will be remembered, was once quite a 
ghost-paper, but of late, it seems to be in a backslidden state. 
It was quite " spiritual," however, in April, 1853, and made 
terrible faces at " Spirit-rapping Unveiled." Dropping 
Fourierism and women's rights, &c, &c, for a moment, it 
read us a severe lecture upon our unbelief in "spiritualism" 
on the one hand, and our faith in the Bible on the other. 
We have not the article at hand, but the substance of it was, 
that we had no right to test the claims of the new revelations 
by the old one. It was not certain that anything was false 
because it was contrary to the Bible. In other words, if any 
pretender contradicts the Bible, it is not unlikely that the 
pretender is right and the Bible wrong. This, however, was 
a virtual concession, that if the Bible is infallibly true, we had 
shown spirit-rapping to be an unmitigated falsehood. 

But Mr. Greeley is getting quite pious of late. He not only 
quotes scripture himself, but is even "down" on spirit-rapping, 
Professor Brittan, and all !* I shouldn't wonder if he should 
give us a first-rate notice of this new edition. 

Leaving my reviewers for the present, I shall fill the 
remainder of these pages with miscellaneous matters of more 
general interest to the reader. 

* In reviewing one of "Professor Brittan's " publications not long 
since — (the pretended discussion between Brittan and Richmond) — the 
Tribune says : 

" We have very harsh things to say of all parties concerned, and the 
book into the bargain. Messrs. Partridge & Brittan will not thank 
us for our opinion of 'the better class' of their publications, if the 
present work is to be considered as a specimen. They must understand, 
that we look upon the spirit-rapping question as a most detestable 



CHAPTER II. 

THEORIES EXPLANATORY OF SPIRIT-RAPPING. 

. Having thus glanced at the only two attempts that have 
been made, so far as I know, to refute my argument, I shall 
proceed, in the present chapter, briefly to review several publi- 
cations and theories that have appeared during the last two 
years, explanatory of the alleged spirit-rapping phenomena. 
And first among these writers and theorists I will devote a 
few paragraphs to a series of articles that appeared in the 
Puritan Recorder, in April, 1852, over the signature of 
" E. P.," and attributed to Dr. Enoch Pond. 

DR. POND'S THREE-FOLD EXPLANATION. 

Dr. Pond is one of the Professors in the Theological 
Seminary, in Bangor, Maine, and a man of distinguished 
ability and piety ; and the articles attributed to him bear 
internal evidence of having emanated from no ordinary 
mind. 



swindle. While we believe that many of the mediums are poor, 
deluded creatures, we are convinced that the projectors and promoters 
of the affair are knaves, as infamous as ever served out a life-sentence 
in a State-prison. 

" Of this particular work, which purports to be the record of a con- 
troversy between a believer and a skeptic, we can only say that, if it 
were not saved from our loathing by its stupidity, the evident collusion 
between the pretended disputants would disgust us. A more dishonest 
book has surely never been published in any country. We do not, after 
this judgment, expect to be favored with any more of Messrs. Par- 
tridge & Brittan's publications." 

Really, this looks as if the Tribune was coming to its right mind 
again. 



204 APPENDIX. 

The positions taken by Dr. Pond are as follows : 

1. Many of the strange performances of the witches and 
necromancers of the olden time were a mere pretence — a cheat, 
or imposition. Among* these he reckons the " enchantment," 
in opposition to Moses, and the ventriloquism mentioned 
Isaiah 8 : 19 ; and 29: 4. 

2. Many things anciently attributed to spirits were pro- 
duced by electricity, galvanism, magnetism, etc., which were 
understood by the operators, but unknown to the masses. 

3. Some of the doings of the ancient witches might have 
been performed by spirits ; " but if anything of this kind be 
true, this is true: That the spirits, with whom the ancient 
witches and wizards had intercourse, were evil sjnrits, — infer- 
nal spirits, — spirits not from Heaven or Earth, but from Hell. 

But Dr. Pond does not commit himself fully to this Satanic 
explanation. He admits its possibility, but adds, " I do not 
say, positively, that this has ever been the case." He is by 
no means sanguine that devils had any special hand in pro- 
ducing the phenomena. And why should their agency be 
invoked ? Could not all the phenomena be produced by 
deception ? On the other hand, if devils produced part of 
the phenomena, is it not more consistent to give them credit 
for the whole of them ? and not mix satanic agency up in this 
w r ay with the natural sciences ? 

My deliberate belief is that the phenomena were all of one 
character; that is either natural or supernatural; and as 
either of these is sufficient, I exclude the other. And being 
certain, with Dr. Pond, that a large portion of the ancient 
witchcraft was mere deception, I attribute the whole to the 
same cause, and nothing to special satanic influence. 

In regard to the alleged phenomena of spirit-rapping, Dr. 
Pond takes the same ground that he does in reference to the 
ancient witchcraft, viz. : that they are attributable, 1. In a 
large measure to sheer imposition and deception, for the pur- 



DR. POND'S THREE-FOLD EXPLANATION. 205 

pose of obtaining money. 2. To "unobserved natural causes," 
such as Magnetism, Electricity, <fcc, &c. 3. If to any spirits, 
to "infernal spirits" or devils. 

Now, although I admire the ability with which these views 
are set forth and maintained, I cannot regard the argument 
as conclusive, or the several explanations as consistent with 
each other. If the rapping and tipping, &c, can be produced 
by collusion, as Dr. Pond justly maintains, why call in 
" natural causes " or " infernal spirits," to account for the 
same phenomena ? Again : If they can be produced by 
natural causes, such as Magnetism and Electricity what need 
of deception and collusion on the part of the mediums \ A 
professor who darkens his lecture room to illuminate an 
aurora tube by electricity, has no occasion for an accomplice. 
He can trust his " natural causes " to produce the desired 
phenomenon. And so with every experiment in Chemistry 
and Natural Philosophy. If science can account for the 
alleged phenomena, collusion and infernal spirits are out of 
the question. 

It seems to me that Dr. Pond's articles are defective in the 
following particulars : 

1. He too readily concedes that the alleged phenomena of 
the Rappers have taken place — a concession which too many 
have made, who are now heartily ashamed of it. But more 
of this hereafter. 

2. Having admitted the occurrence of the phenomena, he 
assigns three distinct causes, as concerned in their production, 
no two of which are consistent with each other, or can 
co-exi»t in harmony at the same time. If the phenomena 
have occurred, they cannot be divided between collusion, 
science, and infernal spirits. Neither can collusion and 
science, or collusion and devils, or science and devils, be made 
to affiliate, or produce the phenomena in partnership. No 
two such voke-fellows could be made to #ork too-ether. 



206 APPENDIX. 

I must think, therefore, that Dr. Pond has admitted the 
existence of scientific causes operating with the medium, that 
he will never be able to find ; and that he has unjustly impli- 
cated his Satanic Majesty, as having possibly been engaged 
in rapping or tipping tables for lady mediums, at a dollar a 
head — a species of folly of which I believe him altogether 
incapable. 

dr. Rogers' "odic force" theory. 

While ti. ^ " Spirit- Rapping Unveiled" was in process of 
preparation, J. P. Jewett & Co., of Boston, were issuing a 
work in numbers, entitled "Philosophy of Mysterious Agents, 
Human and Mundane, d'c." by Dr. E. C. Rogers. I took 
the numbers as they came out, and examined them carefully; 
and became fully satisfied that the work was an abortion so 
far as inculcating science or arresting delusion were con- 
cerned. 

The author sets out by assuming the truth of Phrenology, 
Mesmerism, Clairvoyance, Psychology, &c, <fec, and builds 
his entire superstructure upon these assumptions. Even infe- 
rior animals — cats, dogs, and mice — may become clairvoyant 
(page 28). In a word, it is an attempt to explain one grand 
humbug, by several others as fantastical as itself. 

If we are first to admit all the marvels of Phrenology, 
Mesmerism, Psychology, Biology, &c, and install them 
among the sciences, we shall certainly find no difficulty in 
accounting for all the wonders of spirit-rapping upon scientific 
principles ; i. e. upon the principles of these " sciences," 
"falsely so called." But suppose these alleged "sciences" 
turn out to be no sciences at all ; but mere gull-traps in the 
hands of a few publishers and travelling lecturers, employed 
for the purpose of making money ? What, then, becomes of 
Dr. Roger's "scientific explanations?" If the premises are 
gone, what are his conclusions worth ? 



THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE. 207 

The Doctor's " odic force " is a myth, — a creature of the 
imagination ; and the marvel is that any man claiming to be 
a philosopher should have built so high upon so airy a foun- 
dation. 

More than two years have passed since this great scientific 
solution was published. It came out in a beautiful dress, the 
paragraphs numbered like a scientific text-book, and with an 
imposing array of learned references in the margin ; it has 
been read by men of science in this country and in Europe ; 
and what is the result? Has any chemist or philosopher 
discovered anything of this " odic force ?" Is its existence at 
all admitted by any man of science, Reichenbach and Dr* 
Rogers excepted ? It is true that they have addled the brain 
of a few editors, who knew little of science, and have elicited 
their endorsement ; but beyond this " all things continue as 
they were from the beginning." The "odic force" is still 
unknown to the scientific world of both hemispheres, and is 
likely to remain so. 

But I must not spend too much time with this already 
obsolete publication. It is simply a great display about 
nothing. If a man can swallow the humbugs which Rogers 
assumes to be true, it is of no use to reason with him. He 
may as well swallow spirit-rapping also; for his elastic faith 
must have something new to feed upon, and it may as well be 
that as anything else. 

THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE. 

As a general thing the religious press of the country fully 
endorsed our " expose," and treated the pretensions of the 
rappers as a stupendous fraud or delusion. To this, however, 
there were one or two melancholy exceptions. 

Rev. Abel Stevens, editor of the National Magazine — a 
man of distinguished piety and ability — was among these 



208 APPENDIX. 

exceptions. As early as January, 1853, he indicated his faith 
in Mesmerism, by selecting and publishing in his journal an 
article on " Electro- Biology T (See number for that date, 
page 56.) True, he says in a note that he does not endorse it, 
but he published it for his Christian readers, and in his 
" Editor's Table," in the same number, recommends it as pre- 
senting a u rational solution of the marvels of Biology." 

In the same number (page 86) he gives an account of Mr. 
Fowler's "Hebrew" message (found on page 118 of this 
work), and ridicules the whole thing as it justly deserved. 
At that time he declares that the rappers " had not given us 
a single important suggestion, no new scientific idea what- 
ever." His solution of Mr. Fowler's miracle was, — " Just 
nothing at all, except the submission of the facts to the com- 
mon sense of the reader. The indenniteness, the vagueness, 
the crotchety character of the whole affair is too obvious to 
need remark." Still he says that " many of the marvels con- 
nected with the rappings can be referred to magnetic agency 
alone." 

But in the course of the next six months, Mr. Stevens seems 
to have arrived at a very different conclusion. "Now, is it 
not mortifying," says he, " to our common human nature, to 
find talents, genius even, capable of such things, prostituted to 
this abject nonsense — this imposture, or, at least delusion ! 
* * It appears to us like one of those absurdities for the 
explosion of which satire was given to the world ; and it will 
probably have to die by the excess of its follies." 

After a most liberal outlay of ridicule, Mr. Stevens turns a 
short corner, in the same article ; endorses the alleged phe- 
nomena, and pronounces them to be of scientific origin ! 
" Faraday's diamagnetism and Reichenbach's ' odic force ' — 
identical facts — as Reichenbach himself believes — meet all 
the conditions of the ifew phenomena — even the most remark- 
able of them are solved by them." 



THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE. 209 

Iii the next number of the National, Mr. Stevens scolds the 
scientific men of the country severely, for not going into their 
laboratories and solving the mighty mystery. In the pre- 
ceding number he assures his readers that Reichenbach had 
furnished ths key, and Doctor Rogers had fully and triumph- 
antly unraveLed the whole affair ; and now, only one month 
after, writes as if it was a mystery still, and the scientific 
men of the country were really censurable for not explain- 
ing it. Take the following as a sample of this remarkable 
reproof : 

"And now we repeat what we said in our last number, that the 
responsibility of remedying this wide-spread evil is upon our scientific 
men. It will not do for them to scout the thing as jugglery, delusion, 
folly. It is not jugglery, and the world now well enough knows it is 
not; it is not sheer delusion — that the world also understands well 
enough j and as for folly, that is a vague term, which the world cares 
little about in a matter of popular excitement like this. There is some, 
jugglery, and some delusion, and much folly, mixed up with this whole 
matter, doubtless ; but there is also, gentlemen of science, an undeniable, 
mystery of truth, an undeniable scientific element in it. It will not do 
to give it the go-by with a learned sneer. The world demands some- 
thing else from you. Your predecessors so treated Harvey's discovery 
of the circulation of the blood, Jenner's vaccination, and Mesmer's still 
greater discovery ; but the world took care that these great facts should 
not be ignored, in spite of the Pharisaic * professional dignity ' of sci- 
ence. Hundreds of thousands, nay millions of candid observers, not a 
few of them cultivated men and women, have fully ascertained that 
there is a demonstrable reality in these new phenomena. The want of 
a scientific recognition and explication of the mystery is now leaving 
not only this country, but most civilized countries, to all sorts of delu- 
sions respecting it. Meanwhile our scientific men, with few exceptions, 
stand off in such rapt self-respect, that they cannot condescend to 
enlighten the honest, but erring convictions of the people." 

In this passage, it should be observed that Mr. Stevens pro- 
nounces Mesmerism a greater discovery than that of the 
circulation of the blood, by Harvey, or of vaccination, by 
Jenner ! and fully endorses the " demonstrable reality of the 
new phenomena." 

In the same article, he gallantly defends the Fishes and 
F xes of Rochester (now the chief necromancers of this city), 



210 APPENDIX. 

as not only innocent sufferers, but the discoverers of a most 
astounding science. 

" A few obscure women first observed, in Rochester, N. Y., this new 
marvel. Ithey have been laughed at all over the land, as deluded. 
They have been, perhaps, in part ; but the civilized world is now 
experimenting and attesting the main fact at first announced by them, 
and unquestionably, a new scientific agent of untold interest, and, it 
may be, importance, has been thus brought out and propounded to the 
scientific inquiries of the age." 

The" main fact at first announced," was, that a pedlar had 
been murdered in the house where the Fox girls lived, and 
that his bones would be found by digging in the cellar. But 
on digging, the bones could not be found, and the "pedlar" 
story, with which the whole thing started, was dropped as 
soon as possible. Now, the only "science" I can possibly see 
in this, is that of demonstrated falsehood and deception. And 
yet Br. Stevens regards it as the germ of a stupendous dis- 
covery ! The advocacy of such views by a Methodist editor, 
has been a source of profound regret to the denomination 
generally, and especially the ministry. All the rappers want 
to keep up their nefarious business, is for such men as Mr. 
Stevens to admit that the alleged "facts" have occurred, and 
attempt to explain them upon scientific principles. Satisfied 
that all such attempts must fail, and thus strengthen their 
cause, they count all such defenders of the pretended phe- 
nomena, as the most efficient allies they could possibly have. 

The following very just remarks upon the course of the 
National, in regard to this subject, are from the editor of the 
Christian Advocate and Journal. 

" We differ with the editor of the 'National,' toto cado, in his theory of 
table-movings and spirit-rappings. We do not believe in his ' odic 
f orce ' — some occult principle in nature not yet demonstrated, but 
which must be assumed to exist, because necessary to explain the 
wonderful phenomena of ' table-tippings.' 

" To admit such an agency, without demonstration, because it seems 
to afford a solution of something else that we do not understand, would 
be unwarrantable, even if ths facts to be explained were admitted; how 



THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE. 211 

much more so when these supposed facts rest upon testimony which, so 
far from challenging belief, is certainly not stronger than that which 
sustained magic, and mesmerism, and clairvoyance in their day ! We 
have re-ad, somewhere, a decision of Judge Mansfield, one of the best 
lawyers and greatest men of England, before whom a poor woman had 
been prosecuted as a witch. A number of witnesses deposed that they 
had seen the woman walking or floating in the air, with her feet 
upward. His honor decided that there could be no doubt of the fact 
charged, as so many persons of unimpeachable veracity had testified to 
it ; nevertheless, the woman must be discharged, as there was no law 
in England which forbids people to walk with their feet upward in the 
air. And who has not heard the wonders of mesmerism and clair- 
voyance attested by witnesses as reliable and numerous as are now 
brought to the support of ' table-tippings ' and 'spirit-rappings?' 
But we have said that if the statements of the table-tippers were true, 
the theory of an agent, which cannot be demonstrated, could not be 
admitted upon the principles of rational philosophy to account for the 
phenomena. This method of assuming the existence of occult 
agencies to explain facts in physical science, has been long since 
exploded. * * * * * * * 

"Now we are sorry and mortified that the Editor of the National 
should suffer himself to be imposed upon by such a delusion as this 
"odic force," or any of its accompanying humbugs; because he is a 
man of mark among us, and his opinions must have great weight and 
influence. We know of no pretences to occult science which have been 
so injurious to religion in general, and Methodism in particular, as 
phrenology, mesmerism, and spirit-rappings ; yet he told us, not long 
since, that mesmerism was a greater discovery than Hervey's discbvery 
of the circulation of the blood. We have borne long the burden which 
these things have pressed upon us, and, as a faithful watchman, we can 
no longer forbear to notice what we think, coming from such a quarter, 
may do great harm to the cause of God and the Church. We shall 
open our columns to anything which our friend may think proper to say 
in reply or justification." 

But, as in the case of other strictures upon his course, Br. 
Stevens never thought best to attempt a justification. He 
still retains his faith in mesmerism, and the new science of 
spirit-rapping (for I know of no other name for it), and even 
in a recent number of the National, publishes an account of 
the cure of inflammatory rheumatism, and even the bite of the 
deadly cobra of India, by the simple power of mesmeric 
passes ! Verily, I have not found so great faith, no, not in 
Israel ! 

Now, though I regard the course of the National, in this 



212 APPENDIX. 

particular, as exceedingly unfortunate, and have dealt thus 
freely with Mr. Stevens' opinions, it is a pleasure to me to say, 
that I regard him as one of the first men on the continent — 
an intelligent, warm-hearted, energetic Christian gentleman — 
a man of refined literary taste — a superior preacher and 
platform-speaker — a brilliant writer— a utilitarian in every- 
thing, and a man that seldom misses his mark. But in this 
instance, he has certainly erred ; and if he will take himself 
to Mr. Fowler for a phrenological chart of his faculties, he 
will find, if there is any truth in the "science," that he is 
much better adapted to the investigation of ecclesiastical and 
literary subjects, than those of a philosophical or scientific 
character. He has too much faith, and too little scientific 
knowledge and caution, to withstand the bold and oft- 
repeated assertions of the spirit-rappers. But he is a man 
for the times in other respects, and time (with a little help 
from others) will set him right in this respect also. All 
success, therefore, to Abel Stevens and the National ! 

REV. JAMES PORTER'S EXPLANATION. 

The views of this writer are set forth in a pamphlet of fifty- 
four closely-printed pages, entitled — " The Spirit-rappi?igs, 
Mesmerism, Clairvoyance, Visions, Startling Phenomena, 
and Infidelity of the Rapping Fraternity, calmly Considered 
and Exposed ; by Rev. James Porter, A. M., &c." 

This title, it will be seen, promises to "expose Mesmerism" 
and " Clairvoyance," as well as " Spirit-rapping" itself. Let 
us see, then, how this promise is fulfilled, and how the 
"spirit" phenomena are exposed or explained. 

In the first place, Mr. Porter virtually admits the alleged 
phenomena of spirit-rapping, without limitation. Whether 
he would allow that men have been carried through mid-air 
(which Mr. Brittan says is now a very common occurrence) 



REV. JAMES PORTERS EXPLANATION. 213 

— that Mr. Partridge carried a heavy man seventy feet across 
a long hall and back, on the ends of his fingers (as I heard 
him assert in Williamsburgh before five hundred persons) — 
that a child was carried by the " spirits " over Washington 
Parade-Ground ; and that another child in Astoria, only 
eighteen months old, wrote excellent Latin, Greek and 
Hebrew ; — whether, I say, Mr. Porter and others who endorse 
the "facts," are ready to include these marvels among them, 
we have no means of determining. To my mind, however, 
there is no middle ground. If we admit a part, we must- 
admit the whole ; for the same witnesses that testify to the 
intelligent rapping, <fec, testify to the carrying of men 
through the air, and all the other wonderful " physical 
demonstrations." 

But if any hesitate about admitting the whole, we should 
like to have them tell us where their faith is to end ? Can 
they tell us where ? 

2. In the next place, Mr. Porter takes the ground of 
Professor Pond, that if there are any spirits concerned in the 
production of the phenomena, they must be devils. This, as 
we have already said, is investing the subject with altogether 
too much importance. I would as soon say the Devil wrought 
the tricks of any mountebank in the land, as those of the 
spirit-rappers. To charge it to the Devil, is. to make too much 
of it altogether, and to slander Satan into the bargain. 1 
insist that such allegations are not " giving the Devil his due." 

3. Mr. Porter thinks it would neither be "inconsistent, 
unphilosophical, or irreligious," to suppose that the knockings 
are produced " by the mediums themselves." This is 
unquestionably sound. But — will the reader believe it ? — from 
this place onward in the book, Mr. Porter endorses mesmer- 
ism and clairvoyance ; cites Dr. Rogers with approbation ; 
and relies almost solely upon these " sciences," for an expla- 
nation of the phenomena of spirit-rapping ! 



214 APPENDIX. 

In explanation of the alleged fact that the spirits told a 
medium in Rochester, that the child of one of her customers, 
which he had left sick at Lockport, was dead, which was 
confirmed by the telegraph an hour afterwards, Mr. Porter 
says : 

"Mesmeric subjects have their congenial operators, who often have 
such influence over them, that they can throw them into the mesmeric 
state at will, however distant, and impress them with such facts or 
falsehoods as they please. This man lived at Lockport, and had his 
familiar spirits there, with whom he had been in correspondence. The 
fact of his child's death was undoubtedly known to the circle. Why 
might not they have impressed this fact upon him at that distance, as 
well as any other fact? We see no more difficulty in one case than in 
the other. If one can throw another into the magnetic sleep sixty 
miles distant, we see no reason why he may not impress him with any 
news of the day." Page 49. 

In this passage, Mr. Porter fully endorses mesmerism and 
clairvoyance ; and sufficiently indicates his belief in both 
these humbugs. He really thinks one man may convey a 
message to another sixty miles distant, by mesmerism and 
clairvoyance ! And this is his explanation of one class of 
" spiritual phenomena !" 

Now, in opposition to this concession of Mr. Porter, I 
utterly deny that any medium or clairvoyant, in this world 
or any other, ever did or ever can " mesmerize" a person at a 
distance, or convey the first item of intelligence to them at 
the distance of a single rod, much less sixty or a thousand 
miles, without the medium of sight or sound — a letter or 
telegram, or some such medium. And that a man of Mr. 
Porter's acknowledged ability and caution should make such 
a concession, and endorse such pretensions, is to me unac- 
countable. He really thinks, then, that if the "mediums" 
only had a "congenial operator" in London, they might 
" impress " the " news of the day" in London, upon a medium 
in New York, without difficulty ! Well, if I believed that, I 
would send over my "congenial operator" to London; 
locate my medium in New York ; and open a news-office in 



REV. JAMES PORTER'S EXPLANATION. 215 

Wall street without delay. The " associated press " would 
pay $10,000 a year to sustain such an office ; and besides, a 
fortune could be made every few days, by operations in flour 
alone. We recommend Mr. Porter to come on to New York 
at once, and test his mesmeric philosophy by a few practical 
experiments. 

As to the case, to explain which Mr. Porter resorts to mes- 
merism and clairvoyance, and endorses its wildest pretensions ; 
the following were the facts : 

A certain celebrated " medium " then lived in Rochester, 
but her fame had reached Lockport, sixty miles distant. A 
believer residing there, whose child was dangerously ill, went 
to Eochester to consult the medium, as to what he should do 
for it, or whether it would live or die. His wife at Lockport 
knew he was going ; whom he was going to see in Rochester, 
and where she lived. 

While the husband was at the house of the medium, the 
child died ; and the wife in Lockport telegraphed the fact to 
her husband in Rochester. The message was taken to the 
house of the medium, as directed, and given to the medium 
at the door. Seeing to whom it was directed, and knowing" 
that the child was very sick when its father left Lockport, she 
at once inferred very naturally that it was dead ; and putting 
the message in her pocket, went in and had the "spirits" rap 
out that the child was dead ! The father was, of course, in 
great grief. In a few hours, however, the door bell rang 
again, and the medium pretended to receive a dispatch for 

Mr. ; and on opening it, behold, sure enough, his child 

was dead 1 This, of course, was a clear case ! The " spirits" 
must have brought the message, for it came ahead of the 
telegraph ! And such a transparent deception as this com- 
pels Rev. James Porter, A. M., of the New England Con- 
ference, to admit that one person can impress another with 
the news of the day at any distance ! ! 



216 \PPENDIX. 

On the whole, though this work is well written, and 
contains many good things, I must think it will inculcate 
more spirit-rapping than it will cure. Thousands who have 
no faith whatever in any of these delusions, will not onlv 
embrace mesmerism and clairvoyance upon Mr. Porter's 
endorsement, but, having swallowed his theory of spirit- 
telegraphing, will find little difficulty in taking the remaining 
lessons of the "science." It is just such an "expose 7 ' as the 
spirit-rappers like, and can make the most capital out of. 

REV. CHARLES BEECHEr's "REPORT," 

This is a pamphlet of seventy-five pages, entitled "A 
Review of the ' Spiritual Manifestations f Read before the 
Congregational Association of New York and Brooklyn. 
By Charles Beecher, Pastor of the First Congregational 
Church, Newark, N. J? 

Like Messrs. Rogers, Stevens and Porter, and some others, 
Mr. Beecher rejects the idea of collusion, and fully admits the 
alleged u spiritual " phenomena. But to this concession there 
are certain antecedents, which ought to be taken into the 
account. 

Mr. Beecher has two sisters — Miss Catherine Beecher, and 
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Some years since, before 
spirit-rapping was a developed," the latter lady, while shaking 
out her pinions for the flight of fancy which she has since 
taken, wrote an article for the New York Observer, to prove 
that the "ministering spirits" of the Bible were human 
spirits — the spirits of the dead. It was headed by the verse, 

" 'tis a beautiful belief, 
That ever round our head, 
Are hovering on viewless wing, 
The spirits of the dead." 

I read the article at the time; and regarding it as a 



REV. CHARLES BEECHEr's REPORT. 21 7 

heterodox speculation, cut it out of the paper, and kept it to 
see whereunto it would grow. When the " rappers " got 
fairly under way, what should I meet one day, but this same 
article in the " Spiritual Telegraph /" And it certainly 
seemed perfectly in accordance with the theology of the 
paper. Thus Mrs. Stowe was committed largely to a cardinal 
point in the spirit-rapping theology. 

Not long after, Miss Catherine, the other sister, comes out 
in the Tribune, and declares that she had " taken a ride 
round a room on a table !" Thus, a second member of the 
family was committed to the phenomena of spirit-rapping. 

At length Rev. Charles Beecher, the brother, is appointed 
a Committee* to investigate spirit-rapping, and presents the 
Report under consideration. And what could he do under 
the circumstances ? His sisters had publicly endorsed some 
of the main points in the "spiritual" creed, and as an 
affectionate brother, he must endorse his sisters. He had no 
alternative, therefore, but to admit the ministry of human 
disembodied spirits, for good or evil, according to Mrs. Stowe, 
and the " physical demonstrations," according to Miss 
Catherine. At the same time, he must not go unreservedly 
into rapology. 

These circumstances, I think, account for the peculiar and 
seemingly contradictory character of his book ; for to my 
view, it is one of the strangest productions that ever emanated 
from the pen of a professed evangelical minister. And I 
think the reader will agree with me when he shall come to 
know something of its contents. 

Having admitted the phenomena, and rejected collusion, he 
says only two hypotheses remain, viz., "Natural laws with 



* I have understood, from very good authority, that the designation 
of this subject for Mr. Beecher, was rather a pleasantry than otherwise ; 
but he took it seriously, and went into it con amore. There seemed to 
be a remarkable degree of " congeniality." 

10 



218 APPENDIX. 

spirits, and natural aws without spirits" He does not 
admit here that spirits alone might produce the phenomena. 

The principal features of the work are : 

1st. The admission that the alleged phenomena do occur. 
He then takes up the " odic force " theory of Dr. Rogers aud 
Mr. Stevens, and states the principal arguments in its favor. 
Mr. Porter's explanation is stated again, viz.: that " any high- 
wrought cerebral excitement may telegraph itself across the 
globe upon any other brain in due odylic rapport, and com- 
municate intelligence of their passing events." To illustrate 
this point, a case is cited from Rogers, where a drummer, 
though in jail, and his drum in another building at a distance, 
drummed upon it with his mind, and " executed all his 
accustomed points of war," as if the drum was before him ! 
This is one of Dr. Rogers' "facts," endorsed by Mr. Stevens, 
by which spirit-rapping is to be explained ! 

Having considered the " odic force" theory at some length, 
Mr. Beecher proceeds to state what he calls the " apneumatic " 
theory, viz., that the "spiritual phenomena" are produced by 
" Natural law without spirits." To this theory (which is the 
one advocated by Mr. Stevens), he objects. (1) Because it is 
equally valid against the existence of the soul as distinct from 
the brain. (2) It involves a self-contradiction. (3) The 
attempt to carry out the principle consistently, pushes the 
mind into extravagance. (4) It is unphilosophical. (5) It 
is unscriptural. 

2d. Under this last head, Mr. Beecher takes the ground 
that the witches and necromancers of the Bible were not 
deceivers, but really had intercourse with the spirits of the 
dead. On this point, he differs widely from Dr. Pond, and, 
indeed, from Messrs. Porter and Stevens, and most other 
theologians. 

3d. He takes the very remarkable position that the 
"demons" of the New Testament (which word, he says, is 



REV. CHARLES BEECHER*S REPORT. 219 

"falsely translated devils' 1 '') were the souls of the wicked 
dead ! And such a display of Greek and Hebrew — 

Like ocean into tempests tossed, 
To waft a feather, or to drown a fly. 

To establish his strange position, he first assails Oldfield's idea 
that the Greek 6ai\ioviov was nothing but the nervous 
principle ; and goes stoutly into the defence of necromancy 
as a reality. He endorses the necromancers, as really having 
intercourse with the dead, as fully as Rogers and Stevens and 
Porter endorse the " physical demonstration " of the rappers. 
In this, I think him the more consistent ; for if we are to 
believe these operators upon one point, we should upon all. 
If I am to believe Mr. Partridge, when he says he carried a 
heavy man on the end of his fingers, why not when he tells me 
he has talked with a spirit? Besides, if one-half of the alleged 
phenomena have really occurred, they can never be accounted 
for by science, or even collusion; — there must be some invisi- 
ble, intelligent agency — a spirit of some sort. 

Mr. Beecher insists that the term datfiovtov — demon — is 
never applied to Satan or fallen angels in the New Testament ; 
but always means the spirit of some deceased human being. 
Such departed souls or demons, he says, linger about, and 
get into human bodies again, whenever they can, even where 
one soul already has possession of a body. His theory is 
pretty fully stated in the following extract : 

" Spirits of the departed [?] restless and miserable, and longing to 
get back into life, will thrust themselves in whenever and wherever 
odylic conditions of the organism will let them. To this everything 
said about them in the New Testament corresponds. Christ speaks of 
them as "wandering through dry places, seeking rest, and finding 
none ;" and at length, through very weariness, returning to the victim 
they had left. They ask not to be sent "out of that country," as if 
lingering about the scenes of their earthly life. They dread the abyss. 
Rather than be exiled from life's scenes, they harbor in the organism 
of swine. They ask not to be tormented before the time, as those that 
must appear at the judgment-seat, to give account of deeds done in the 
body. The presence of Christ agonises them, u eaV they cry, 



220 APPENDIX. 

c Tcijutv not doVlrjOOv'Na£ap7iVEf ('Away! what have we to do with 
thee, Jesus of Nazareth ?') ' Art thou come to destroy us ? I know 
thee who thou art, the Holy One of God !' They confess that there is 
naught in common between them and their Judge ; forlorn, lost, they 
seek connection with the living to escape, not to inflict, suffering. 
Hence they seek impressible subjects, those, namely, in whom the odylic 
bond between soul and body is less firmly fastened, and capable of 
partial disadjustment. Having been once incarnate, they retain 
vestiges of odylic adaptation. They invade, they dispossess, in part, 
the rightful occupant, and prey upon his odylic energy. Around such 
'subjects' they throng eagerly. Out of one went seven. Out of 
another a legion." Pp. 52, 53. 

In regard to this strange theory, it may be observed, First, 
That the fundamental assumption is not true. It is not true 
that datfioviov — demon — is never used in the New Testament 
to represent Satan or the Devil. I cannot, of course, track 
Mr. B. through his argument, and expose his errors in detail ; 
but will upheave his entire system, by producing one conclu- 
sive instance in which this term is used to signify Satan, even 
by Christ himself. 

24. "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This 
fellow doth not cast out devils [daifiovia — demons] but by 
Beelzebub \BeeX^ej3ovX], the prince of the devils [daifiovicov — 
of the demons]. 

25. "And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said unto them, 
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; 
and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand : 

26. "And if Satan \2aravac;] cast out Satan [laravav], 
he is divided against himself; how, then, shall his kingdom 
stand ? 

27. " And if I, by Beelzebub [Beeh&PovX], cast out devils 
[dat/Jbovia], by whom do your children cast them out?" 
(Matt, xii., 24-27.) 

Here, it will be seen that our Saviour uses three terms, viz., 
demon, Beelzebub, and Satan. Let us see, then, if they are 
not all used to signify the same class of beings, namely, fallen 
a no-els or devils. 



REV. CHARLES BEECHEr's REPORT. 221 

(1.) There is nr* dispute about the term Satan — that, Mr. 
Beeeher admits, means the Devil, and not a human spirit. 

(2.) It is equally clear that Beelzebub, in the 24th and 27th 
verses, is the same as Satan in the 26th verse. To cast out 
demons, by Beelzebub, was to cast them out by Satan. Beel- 
zebub and Satan then are the same. 

(3.) But this Beelzebub or Satan is called " the prince " of 
the devils [dac/iovia] in the 24th verse. He must, there- 
fore, have been one of the demons ; or, in other words, Beelze- 
bub, or Satan, is called a demon by Christ. This is still more 
clear from Mark iii., 26, where it is said that for Christ to 
cast out demons by Beelzebub, would be for " Satan to rise up 
against himself." Beelzebub then is Satan, and Satan is a 
demon. 

(4.) The demons of verse 24th, of which Beelzebub is the 
"prince," are called Satan in the 26th verse. Satan is a 
demon, then, or the demons of the New Testament are devils 
or fallen angels. 

A more perfect example of the synonymous or inter- 
changable use of terms, could scarcely be found, than is 
afforded by the passage cited. And it is entirely sufficient to 
explode Mr. Beechers wild and visionary assertion that the 
term datjiovtov never means Satan, or a fallen angel, in the 
New Testament. So far is this, from being correct, that it 
seldom means anything else ; and to pretend that Christ and the 
Apostles used it in the sense of the ancient necromancers, to 
represent an unhappy human soul, is utterly preposterous. 
And Mr. Beeeher has reflected little credit, either upon his 
learning or his orthodoxy, by making such an assertion."* 

* The reader may find a complete refutation of Mr. Beeeher' s views 
of New Testament Demonology, in the Methodist Quarterly Review for 
1850, pp. 219-223. It is from the pen of Rev. Silas Confort, of the 
Oneida Conference of the J\i. E. Church, and is well worthy of perusal. 
We commend it to Uev. Mr. Beeeher, as the means of both improving 
his knowledge of Greek, and correcting his errors. 



222 APPENDIX. 

In the second place, let us look upon this theory in the light 
of philosophy and common sense. The souls of the wicked, 
according to Mr. Beecher, linger around, and crowd into the 
bodies of living men and women whenever they get a 
chance — " whenever odylic conditions of the organism will 
let them." This is precisely the theory of the spirit-rappers, 
described on page 66 of this work, with this exception ; that 
Mr. Beecher's demons are all the spirits of wicked men, and 
his spirits do not crowd the spirits of the mediums out of their 
bodies. Think of it ! The souls of eight human beings in 
Mary Magdalene ! A woman with eight souls ! (Where is 
Barnum ?) Will Mr. Beecher please turn to page 78, and 
look at our pictorial illustration of his theory, and to page 67 
and onward, and read our objections to it. What facility for 
transmigration ! And then the idea of a " swine " with the 
requisite a odylic conditions," and occupied by a human soul ! 
Could Mr. Beecher tell us whether, under the circumstances, 
it would be a " swine " or a man ? and if a man, whether 
alive or dead ? 

But I must devote no more space to Mr. Beecher. His 
work is the strongest possible endorsement of the modern 
necromancers, and is a monument of human folly, when man 
sets out in the career of unbridled speculation.* 

DR. DODS' INVOLUNTARY THEORY. 

This theory is set forth in a neat 12mo. volume of 250 
pages, containing ten lectures, and an appendix of miscella- 

* The following is Mr. Brittan's opinion of Mr. Beecher's book: 
"Rev. Charles Beecher's Review of Spiritualism is now published in 
a convenient and beautiful form, and we are prepared to supply all 
orders with the utmost promptness. We desire to assure our friends 
that this book, if generally circulated, will become a most efficient 
instrumentality in promoting the interests of the Spiritual cause." 
Of this we have not a shadow of doubt. 



DR. DODS' INVOLUNTARY THEORY. 223 

neous articles. The following are the leading characteristics 
of the work, and of Dr. Dods' theory : 

1. He admits the alleged phenomena of " spiritualism," but 
denies that they are the work of spirits. 

2. Spirit-rapping is no humbug ; the mediums are all 
honest ; the Fishes and Foxes are most amiable ladies ; 
Ballou, and Davis, and Brittan, are great and good men ; but 
all deceived or innocently mistaken. 

3. The cause of the phenomena is purely physical, viz. : 
" electro-pyschologyP Not " odic force" or " dia-magnetism " 
(as Dr. Rogers and Mr. Stevens affirm), but a new power of 
the mind and brain, of which Dr. Dods claims to be the dis- 
coverer. 

Like most others who admit the phenomena, and assign a 
scientific cause, Mr. Dods goes at once to Phrenology and its 
adjuncts, Mesmerism and Clairvoyance, to account for them; 
not so much by these alone, as by " psychology ;" or the still 
higher science of " electro-Tpsychology." 

4. Answerable to his peculiar theory of electro-psychology, 
Mr. Dods has a peculiar theory of phrenology and physiology. 
He says we have two brains, the " back brain " and the " front 
brain," each of which is perfect in itself, and altogether 
distinct from the other. The front brain is the organ of ail 
voluntary motion, and the back brain of all involuntary 
motion, such as throbbing the heart, &c. Answering to this 
double brain, the mind also is double, having its voluntary 
and involuntary powers. And the nerves going out from 
these brains over the system, are like their respective sources, 
voluntary and involuntary nerves. The voluntary powers of 
the mind reside in the front brain, and are exerted through 
the voluntary nerves going out from it ; while the involuntary 
powers of the mind reside in the back brain, and are exerted 
through the involuntary nerves going out from it. When, 
therefore, the back brain becomes overcharged with " too 



224 APPENDIX. 

great a redundancy of electricity congregated upon the 
involuntary nerves, through passivity of mind," it acquires 
extraordinary nervous force, of which the front brain or front 
mind is not conscious ; and hence all the rapping, tipping, 
etc. It is all done by the mediums themselves, involuntarily, 
and without their knowledge. The part of the mind residing 
in the front brain is not aware of the pranks which electricity 
is playing with the nerves and muscles of its fellow brain. 

The Doctor further declares that when the back brain is 
thus charged, " an electro-magnetic discharge from the fingers 
or toes of the medium may often produce an audible snap ;" 
and that "this electro-magnetic force, by endeavoring to 
equalize itself over the nervous system of the medium, may oc- 
casion a snapping in the head. 1 ' Finally, his entire theory is 
thus stated by himself in italics : " The entire passivity of the 
voluntary powers of the mind, and of the voluntary nerves, is 
the cause of unduly charging the involuntary powers with too 
great an electro-nervous force, and the result is these singular 
manifestations, that are so confidently attributed to the agency 
of spirits." 

Now this is quite a theory ; and whatever I may think of 
its truth or philosophy, I am ready to accord to the " Doctor " 
considerable ingenuity, or, in more scientific language, quite 
a bump of u construetiveness." But, unfortunately for it, as 
for many other castles built in the air, it has no foundation in 
fact. This I propose to show somewhat at length. 

(1.) There is no such division of the brain as this system 
pre-supposes. The brain is composed of three parts instead 
of two — the cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla-oblong ata. 
The cerebrum fills all the upper part of the skull, from front 
to rear. This is divided, through the centre, into the right and 
left lobes. The cerebellum is situated in the back of the 
head, under the posterior lobe of the cerebrum ; and is only 
about one-seventh as large as the cerebrum. The medulla- 



DR. DODS' INVOLUNTARY THEORY. 225 

oblongata, (or oblong brain,) is also under the cerebrum, and 
in front of the cerebellum. From this issues the great nerve 
that goes through the vertebra, or back bone; and from 
which all the nerves of the system . branch out and are dis- 
tributed. Here, then, to begin with, is a capital defect in the 
Doctor's system ; — there is not a skull on the globe that has 
the front and rear brains which his system demands. 

(2.) If true, this theory is at war with phrenology, which 
the Doctor endorses, and by which, in part, he proposes to 
explain the " spiritual phenomena." Mr. Fowler will tell him 
that his front and rear brains are a myth, and that the bumps 
in the rear of the head are anything but " involuntary." He 
will by no means allow of such an unconscious set of faculties 
in the back of the head as Dr. Dods demands. He wants 
that territory for the location of " Amativeness," " Philopro- 
genitiveness," " Combativeness," etc., — not quite " involun- 
tary" faculties. Besides, Phrenology recognizes no such 
duplexity of the mind as Dr. D. supposes. Mr. Fowler's sys- 
tem cuts the brain and mind up into mince-meat, compared 
with the ponderous division of Dr. Dods. Even, then, upon 
his own admitted principles, viz., those of phrenology, the 
very foundation of his " electro-psychological " system has no 
existence. 

(3.) There are no such nerves in the system as Dr. Dods' 
theory supposes. He says the nerves are voluntary and 
involuntary — the former issuing from the front or voluntary 
brain, and the latter from the rear, or involuntary brain. 
There are three kinds of nerves, it is true, in each bundle, or 
cord, whether it be large or small : viz., those of motion, sensa- 
tion, and sympathy . By the first we contract the muscles 
and move the limbs ; by the second we feel cold or heat, or 
pain ; see, hear, taste, etc. The sympathetic nerve confers 
vitality, or animal life, on all parts of the system. The nerves 
of sensation and sympathy are involuntary in this sense, that 

10* 



226 APPENDIX. 

sensation and vitality conveyed through them do not depend 
upon the will; but they are not involuntary in Dr. Dods' 
sense. And the nerves i.-f motion, which he calls voluntary, 
are actually involuntary in a still higher sense, in every 
instance of motion that we do not will, and cannot help. So 
distinct are these nerves that one may be cut and its functions 
cease, while the others are as active as ever. We may have 
feeling without motion, or motion without feeling ; or vitality 
without either feeling or motion. Physiology, therefore, 
refutes the Doctor's nervous theory at the outset. We have 
no such voluntary and involuntary nerves as Dr. Dods sup- 
poses. 

(4.) All the nerves originate, not in the cerebrum or cerebel- 
lum merely, but in the medulla-oblong ata ; and, through that, 
in the entire brain. Here originates the first pair, or olfac- 
tory nerves ; the second pair, or optic nerves; and so on to 
the twelfth pair. They are connected with the whole brain, 
as the medulla-oblong ata is thus connected ; but all these 
nerves start out from this oblong brain. And all these pairs 
of nerves are alike complete sets, viz. : voluntary, sensitive, and 
vital. Else, how could w r e move the eye or tongue at will ? 
how see, feel, or taste? how have life in the eye and face? 
But Dr. D. makes the nerves of the face, eye, tongue, etc., to 
originate in his " involuntary brain ;" so that, upon his theory, 
all the motions of the eye, face, mouth, and tongue, must be 
involuntary ! 

(5.) The sets of nerves that go down the centre of the spinal 
column from the medidla-oblongata, and branch off from time 
to time, are also complete sets. Sensation, motion and vitality, 
are everywhere distributed. The nerves passing down the 
spinal column from the lower brain (which I suppose must be 
Dr. Dods' "back brain") are not "involuntary nerves" 
merely, but voluntary as well ; so that here, again, the Doctor's 
involuntary brain and nerve theory are contradicted by fact. 



DR. DODS' INVOLUNTARY THEORY. 227 

^6.) There is no such, animal electricity in the human 
frame as his theory supposes. We may place a person upon 
an insulating stool, and charge him with electricity with an 
electrical machine, till his hair stands erect. And if he will 
then attempt to touch a person standing on the floor, the 
electric spark will snap from the end of his finger. But he 
must be insulated and positively electrified by a machine to 
do this ; and when placed in contact with another object, the 
equilibrium is produced in an instant, even by the first snap. 
But there is no such thing possible without insulation — no 
generating of electricity by u passivity " — no such insulation 
between the parts of the brain, that one can be positively and 
the other negatively electrified — and there can be no such 
long struggle for electrical equilibrium as Dr. D. represents, 
even if all the rest of his philosophy were possible. The 
whole theory, therefore, from beginning to end, is a mere 
dream — a mythical speculation, without any foundation even 
in phrenology, upon which it professes to rest, much less in 
physiology and natural philosophy. Neither Dr. Dods nor 
any other man can demonstrate the truth of this " electro- 
psychological " theory ; but, on the other hand, its Utopian 
character can be demonstrated in the presence of Dr. Dods, 
whenever he may be disposed to submit his philosophy to the 
test of sober experiment.* 



* I deem it due to the cause of truth to say, that whether Dr. Dods' 
philosophy is influenced by his interest or not, he has what is some- 
times called " an axe to grind " in all this. He is the author of a work 
on the " Philosophy of Electrical Psychology" and is getting up a 
medical practice upon this philosophy. Hence, if while he is account- 
ing for the rapping phenomena, he can inculcate his " electro-psycholo- 
gical " system, he is making custom for himself as a medical practi- 
tioner. It is, therefore, quite natural for him to say, as he does on 
page 108, that ' ; electro-psychology and mesmerism, as matters of sci- 
ence, should be kept in their appropriate domain, to detect and describe 
diseases, and apply tr*° healing remedy." Observe, I do not allege that 
the Doctor has any pecuniary object in view ; but, as it has become quite 
fashionable for fourth-rat*" ^v-actitioners of medicine to get up a book 



228 APPENDIX. 

(7.) Throughout his book Dr. Dods confounds his " invo 
luntary powers " with instinct We have powers, it is true, 
that are in one sense involuntary. When odors strike the 
olfactories, or colors the retina, or flavors the palate, or sounds 
the tympanum, we smell, or see, or taste, or hear, involuntarily. 
But is this instinct ? So of the heart — it beats involuntarily, 
but not instinctively. Instinct is not a mere absence of 
volition, as Dr. D. supposes. I have not space to discuss this 
point at length ; but call attention to the fact that, in this 
respect also, Dr. Dods' theory is erroneous. 

(8.) Dr. Dods ostensibly vindicates Christ and the Scrip- 
tures in this book, but to me it seems like " faint praise." He 
endorses Andrew Jackson Davis, the great American vilifier 
of Christ and the Scriptures, as a man that he " highly 
esteems," and for whom he entertains " a high opinion," and 
says "he is not to be blamed" for his low infidelity and 
sneering at Christ and the Holy Scriptures. The Doctor's 
theory of morals is, that we are not to be blamed for what we 
believe ; or in other words, that the open and avowed infidel 
is just as innocent as the most devoted believer in Christianity ! 
Such sentiments we can but regard as of the most pernicious 
tendency. 

(9.) The "Doctor" is a great admirer of Emanuel Svve- 
denborg— says "he was a very extraordinary man, — superior 
to any in moral and intellectual grandeur since the days of 
Christ and his apostles !" 

(10.) His views of new revelations may be gathered from 
the following passage : 

"But as regards understanding the peculiar doctrines of Christ and 



upon some idea, to make their hobby known, and attract custom, it is 
a question that may fairly be propounded — how far Dr. Dods lectured 
and wrote as a disinterested and unbiased philosopher ? and how far as 
an interested speculating " Doctor ? : ' — what some people call a 
"Quack?" 



DR.. DODS' INVOLUNTARY THEORY. 229 

his inspired companions — such as the atonement, or in what sense he 
died for us as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world — his being 
the resurrection and the life of the world — his immortal reign — and in 
what sense that he, as Judge of quick and dead, is to reward and pun- 
ish all mankind according to the deeds done in the body — and even in 
what sense he is the Son of God, distinct from any of the human race — 
I say, as regards understanding these and other doctrines, I am satisfied 
that new revealments, through clairvoyance, or some other source, are 
to be made to the world." Page 119. 

In Dr. Dods' view, these great cardinal points in the Chris- 
tian system are not revealed with sufficient clearness in the 
Holy Scriptures to be understood ; but must be elucidated 
" through clairvoyance or some other source." " And even 
the power invested in the apostles, to work miracles of mercy, 
will be again invested in man to do the same." P. 120. 
From these quotations, the reader will see to what the Doctor's 
vindication of the Scriptures amounts ; and that the bearing 
and influence of his book will inevitably be to weaken faith 
in Divine Revelation, and in experimental religion. 

(11.) Finally; notwithstanding the Doctor sets out with 
admitting all the u phenomena " of " spiritualism," and en- 
dorsing the mediums, and clairvoyants, and mesmerizers, as 
the most sincere, and honest, and virtuous of mortals ; when 
he comes to notice the alleged "facts" of Judge Edmunds' 
book, he intimates very clearly that he does not believe the 
wonders related by the Judge ever occurred ! He is full of 
suspicion ; asks a great many impertinent questions ; and 
makes some most indelicate insinuations about " tricks," and 
collusion. His " electro-psychology " will not account for bells 
being carried through the air and rung without hands ; and 
other similar "facts," (?) and so he politely tells the Judge, 
in substance, that he does not believe any such phenomena 
ever occurred ! ! 

But stop, Doctor : It is a foregoing conclusion. You have 
endorsed all this, and it is too late now to recant. Nay, more*, 
you must believe, not only all the Judge says, but that heavy - 
men have been carried through the air without hands by your 



230 APPENDIX. 

" electro-psychology." " Professor Brittan," whom you exalt 
to the skies, as one of the purest and best of men, says " this 
is now a very common occurrence " (see pretended Discus- 
sion with Richmond) ; and your friend Partridge tells you he 
carried a heavy man 140 feet on the tips of his ringers ! Now 
don't turn " skeptic," I beg of you, and upset all your lectures 
by admitting at last that your theory does not account for 
the alleged phenomena. This, in fact, is what the " Doctor " 
has done, by admitting only the phenomena that he thinks 
his theory accounts for, and denying all the rest. 

In conclusion : I regard Dr. Dods' book as unsound in its 
theology ; loose in its moral philosophy ; wretchedly at 
variance with facts in its natural philosophy, and physiology ;■ 
contradictory and inconsistent with itself; and no sort of an 
explanation of the alleged " spiritual phenomena." 

professor faraday's explanation. 

Professor Faraday, of London, is one of the highest 
scientific authorities on the globe, especially on questions of 
Natural Philosophy. Being requested to investigate the sub- 
ject, he prepared a suit of apparatus, and entered upon a 
series of experiments, the result of which was a demonstration 
that the tables were, in all cases, moved by the mediums. He 
did not allege that they were always aware of it (and I am 
not sure that they always are) ; but the fact itself he demon- 
strated before their own eyes, over and over again, and I had 
done the same thing in this country, time after time, before, 
and can do it again, at any and every opportunity. As sim- 
ple a thing as two pieces of smooth paste-board placed between 
the hands of the medium and the table (two under each hand) 
will block the game of any medium in the country. 

The following are some of Prof. Faraday's remarks upon 
the subject : 

" I have been greatly startled by the revelation which this purely 
physical subject has made of the condition of the public mind. No 



PROFESSOR FARADxVY's EXPLANATION. 231 



doubt, there are many persons who have formed a right judgment, or 
used a cautious reserve — for I know several such, and public communi- 
cations have shown it to be so ; but their number is almost as nothing 
to the great body who have believed and borne testimony, as I think, 
in the cause of error. I do not here refer to the distinction of those 
who agree with me and those who differ. By the great body, I mean 
such as reject all considerations of the equality of cause and effect — who 
refer the results to electricity and magnetism, yet know nothing of the 
laws of these forces — or to attraction, yet show no phenomena of pure 
attractive power — or to the rotation of the earth, as if the earth revolved 
round the leg of a table — or to some unrecognized physical force, with- 
out inquiring whether the known forces are not sufficient — or who even 
refer them to diabolical or supernatural agency, rather than suspend 
their judgment, or acknowledge to themselves that they are not learned 
enough in these matters to decide on the nature of the action. I think 
the system of education that could leave the mental condition of the 
public body in the state in which this subject has found it, must have 
been greatly deficient in some very important principle." 
* * * * * * * 

" I must bring this long description to a close. I am a little ashamed 
of it, for I think, in the present age, and in this part of the world, it 
ought not to have been required. Nevertheless, I hope it may be use- 
ful. There are many whom I do not expect to convince ; but I may be 
allowed to say that I cannot undertake to answer such objections as 
may be made. I state my own convictions as an experimental philoso- 
pher, and find it no more necessary to enter into controversy on this 
point than on any other in science, or the nature of matter, or inertia, 
or the magnetization of light on which I may differ from others. The 
world will decide, sooner or later, in all such cases, and I have no 
doubt very soon and correctly in the present instance." 



Now, let the reader glance for a moment at these several 
theories, set forth by persons admitting the phenomena, with 
a view to explaining them. Dr. Pond (who, I think, has 
written more sensibly on the subject than either of the others) 
attributes the phenomena to imposition, or unobserved natural 
causes, or the Devil. Dr. Rogers explains them by his "odic 
force " theory ; and Abel Stevens endorses him in the 
strongest possible manner. Mr. Porter, mentions collusion 
and devils, but relies mainly upon Mesmerism and Clairvoy- 
ance for a solution of the mysteries. He regards these as 
veritable " sciences," as much so as astronomy itself. Mr. 



232 APPENDIX. 

Beecher turns all the devils of our Saviour's time into the 
departed spirits of wicked men ; and attributes the modern 
"spiritual phenomena" to such u spirits" prowling around 
our world, and crowding into the bodies of mediums when- 
ever the u odylic relations" will give them a chance; and 
Prof. Faraday, and many others, have demonstrated the whole 
movement to be a most transparent wicked imposition and 
delusion. And as such it is fast dying away, and will soon 
find its proper level with " Salem witchcraft," and other simi- 
lar mental epidemics. 

But let the world take note of those writers and u philoso- 
phers," (?) who have not only allowed themselves to be 
deceived, in spite of abundant warning, but have made con- 
cessions that have helped on the delusion ; and have even 
" beat their fellow servants " for not being as credulous and 
gullable as themselves. "We say, let the world take note of 
these guides of public opinion ; and, when time has demon- 
strated their folly, let them learn a lesson of modesty and 
caution, and the world learn that neither office, nor learning, 
nor piety, wholly secures a man against the influence of impo- 
sition and delusion. 



CHAPTER III 



INTERESTIN< RECENT DEVELOPMENTS. 

Having paid my respects to my reviewers, and noticed 
most of the attempts to account for the spirit-rapping phe- 
nomena, by those who admit their occurrence, I shall conclude 
this appendix with a chapter of miscellaneous articles, the first 
of which I will entitle : 

THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. 

On page 61, an offer of $500 is made for a successful test 
experiment, proving the agency of disembodied spirits. The 
same was made in various public assemblies, but was never 
accepted but in one instance. Some time in August, 1853, I 
received the following letter through the post-office : 

Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, N. Y., July 30th, 1853. 
Rev. H. Mattison : 

Dear Sir, — I have just finished the perusal of " Spirit -Rapping 
Unveiled" in which I find an offer of " $500 to any card medium who 
will publicly spell out an intelligent communication blindfolded, your- 
self being allowed to procure the card, and place it before the medium 
after she is blinded." 

Now, sir, if this is a bona fide offer, and you will agree to reasonable 
conditions, you may consider the, challenge accepted by a magnetic 
clairvoyant medium of this county. 

The conditions required, will be a committee of three, one selected 
by yourself, one by the medium, and the third by those two who shall 
hold the money, and be authorized to pay it over, when in the judgment 
of two of them an "intelligent communication" has been "spelled." 
By "publicly," we understand you to mean in some parlor or hall, 
before a committee and yourself, with a few friends, the medium being 
entitled to the presence of an equal number. Please answer im- 
mediately. Yours, truly, 

Wm. W. Badger. 



234 APPENDIX. 

To this letter I immediately returned the following 
answer : 

New York, August 3, 1853. 
Mr. Wm. W. Badger : 

Sir, — Yours of the 30th July is received. I am happy to learn that 
some one thinks of trying to get the $500 premium offered in my book, 
for a successful test experiment, proving the movement of a medium's 
hand by foreign spiritual agency. And. although the offer was obviously 
designed for the "Professors" in this vicinity, and has not been taken 
up by any of them, still it shall be open to the whole world. But the 
feat must be performed in the Metropolitan Hall of this city ; and the 
whole audience must be the judges, and decide by count vote. As you 
have no forfeiture whatever, and have so fair a chance to make $500, 
you will, of course, bring your medium to this citv without hesitation. 

The conditions upon which the money will be paid, are : 

1. The medium shall be thoroughly blindfolded. 

2. After being magnetized (or whatever else you please), all her 
associates shall leave the platform, and a stranger to all parties shall 
be selected to remain with me and the medium, to see if she succeeds in 
her undertaking, in pointing out the letters. 

3. I will then produce and place the card, and the medium shall 
point out the letters, which shall be announced one by one, and written 
down. They shall then be read to the audience, and if they decide, by 
a majority-vote, that it is an "intelligent communication," such 
as would indicate the presence of a "foreign spiritual agency," or 
spirit the money shall be paid over at once. 

Very respectfully, 

H. Mattison. 

P. S. — Should the card be printed in Hebrew or Greek, to accom- 
modate the spirits of the Prophets and Apostles, the communication 
shall be translated on the spot by a competent linguist, and submitted 
to the audience in its English dress. H. M. 

It is needless to add that, up to the present time (October, 
1854), we have heard nothing from Mr. Badger and his 
" magnetic clairvoyant medium." To run the risk of being 
really blindfolded, and without an accomplice upon the stand 
to help her out; and, worse still, of having the letters placed 
wrong side up, and perhaps Greek or Hebrew at that, was too 
much. "Spirits" would not want an accomplice; and could 
read letters as well one end up as the other ; and Greek and 
Hebrew spirits won Id prefer Greek and Hebrew letters ; but 
then, if there were no spirits there except those in the bodies 



MRS. FRENCH A LIBEL SUIT, ALMOST. 235 

of the experimenters, and the medium must be alone, and 
blindfolded, and did not understand Greek and Hebrew, she 
might get bothered. And so Mr. Badger (who, 1 believe, is 
an Arian preacher) concluded to keep his "medium" in 
Monroe County. But she may be studying the " dead lan- 
guages," and we may hear from her again when she gets fully 
"developed." 

MRS. FRENCH A LIBEL SUIT, ALMOST. 

On page 156-8 is an account of the ruin of George 
Doughty, of Flushing, Long Island, by a lady " medium," by 
the name of French. The account was taken from the 
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and is duly credited. 

Soon after the book was issued, a package went to Pitts- 
burgh, where the amiable medium aforesaid resided. Pretty 
soon a friend writes us that Mrs. French had called at the 
store, in Pittsburgh, where the books were sold, with a lawyer, 
and forbade their sale, at the peril of heavy damages. She 
also informed them that suits would be commenced imme- 
diately, against both author and publishers, and that her good 
character was to be vindicated by the severest penalties of the 
law. 

I heard nothing more of this spiritual injunction, till, 
returning home one evening, I was informed that a lady 
dressed like a queen had called at the door in her carriage, 
inquiring for me. She declined to alight when invited to do 
so, and when asked what name should be reported to me, she 
declined giving her name and drove off. Before leaving, 
however, she appointed to call again the next day at a given 
hour. 

I had no suspicion who it could be, and having an import- 
ant engagement at the hour appointed, I paid no attention to 
the appointment of the mysterious lady. She came, however, 



236 APPENDIX. 

but still withheld her name, and left without making a second 
appointment. 

A few days after, I was in Mason Brothers' store, and the 
queenly lady came in. She was dressed in the richest of 
crimson silk, and loaded with heavy gold ornaments, chains, 
bracelets, rings, etc., etc. She was accompanied by another 
lady, who looked as if she was half bewildered by spirit- 
rapping. 

Lady No. 1 at once introduced herself as " Mrs. French, of 
Pittsburgh ;" and, drawing out a soiled copy of " Spirit-Rap- 
ping Unveiled" proceeded to state her grievances. She was 
an honest and virtuous woman — a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh — Bishop Simpson was a spe- 
cial friend of hers* — she had an excellent character, and had 
never had a dollar of Mr. Dough ty ? s money. Moreover, we 
had libelled her, and she wanted satisfaction from both author 
and publishers. 

Calling her attention to the fact that the article complained 
of was copied and duly credited ; and that the same thing, in 
substance, was published in most of the city papers, I 
inquired why she did not apply to the original source of the 
alleged libel for redress, instead of holding those responsible 
who had simply copied it in good faith, believing it to be 
true ? To this she replied that people would not believe a 
newspaper as they would a book, and she must have satisfac- 
tion from us. Besides, she had retained a lawyer in JSTew 
York, and a distinguished banker had offered her all the 
money she wanted to carry on the suit. She also alleged 
that I had altered the article, and made it more severe upon 
her than the original. 

I told her I had no offers to make by way of settlement or 



* I have since learned that neither of these last two statements are 
correct, whatever may be thought of the residue 



MRS. FRENCH A LIBEL SUIT, ALMOST. 237 

recantation ; but if I should have, by the next day at twelve 
o'clock, I would call upon her. (She was still at the Irving 
House, where she was when she and her accomplice ruined 
poor Doughty.) 

On looking up the "copy" from which the book was 
printed, I found that I had made three slight alterations. 
The first was to print the amount of which Mr. Doughty was 
robbed at $15,000, instead of $13,000, the former being the 
true amount, as stated in other papers. The second was to 
omit the word " hellish " from before the word " conspiracy," 
in the last paragraph ; and the third was to omit the follow- 
ing, near the conclusion : u Should the medium be arrested, 
the whole affair will undergo a judicial investigation, which 
will still more fully elucidate the peculiar features of this 
strange and melancholy transaction." With these exceptions, 
the compositors had strictly followed the printed copy, cut 
from the Brooklyn Eagle. 

The first of these alterations is a simple correction of an 
error as to the amount ; the second is the exclusion of a harsh 
word in Mrs. French's behalf; and the third is an unimport- 
ant sentence, excluded merely to save space. And yet, Mrs. 
F. had alleged extensive alterations, greatly to her injury. 

After taking legal counsel, I concluded to let the queenly 
" medium" take her own course, and accordingly did not call 
upon her. But the hour had scarcely passed before she made 
her appearance again at Mason Brothers. I then told her, 
that, so far as I could learn, I had done her no injustice, and, 
consequently, that I had no satisfaction to offer. If she had 
funds offered her for the undertaking, and wished to p. -osecute 
for damages, she had better do so at once. 

Finding that she could get nothing whatever in the shape 
of " hush money," she left the store evidently disappointed, 
and I have not heard from her since. She had, doubtless, 
come on to New York, supposing she could frighten us out 



238 APPENDIX. 

of a few hundred dollars, rather than be prosecuted, even 
though we knew she could recover nothing. But the scheme 
did not work like the game practised upon Mr. Doughty.* 

ADDITIONAL CASES OF INSANITY. 

On page 158-160, we gave some of the first fruits of spirit- 
rapping in the production of insanity. To the instances there 
recorded, we may now add the following : 

" Sad PtESULTS of Spirit-Rappings. — We regret to announce that a 
lady of Northampton — a lady, too, of beauty, loveliness, and intelli 
gence — the mother of six children, the youngest of which is an infant — 
has become a raving maniac, through the influence upon her mind of 
the spiritual manifestations. She was conveyed to the Brattleboro 
Insane Hospital, on Wednesday, in such a state of excitement that it 
took two attendants to hold her." — Springfield Republican. 

" Another Victim of Spiritual Manifestations. — The Harris- 
burg Union says : We learn that Mr. Christian Snavely, a very worthy 
and industrious citizen of this borough, has become insane on this 
ridiculous and absurd subject. This is the first instance that has 
occurred from this vile and sacrilegious practice in our borough, and has 
caused considerable sensation among our people. He has been convey- 
ed to the Pennsylvania Lunatic Hospital, and is now a raving maniac. 
We trust that this sad result may prove a salutary warning to all who 
have made a practice of attending spirit-rapping meetings and giving 
countenance to this base and wicked system of imposition." 

" The spiritual-rapping illusion is doing its work. We are acquainted 
with an old gentleman in this vicinity whose intellect is of a high 
order, but whose mind is deranged from a belief in this modern hum- 
bug. The spirits informed him that he would live to be 113 years old, 
that he was destined to be President of the United States, and that he 
would marry a lady only 17 years of age. He believes it all." — Ex. 
Paper. 

" Suicide from Rappings. — Ebenezer Pope, a respectable citizen of 
Milton, Mass., hung himself in his barn, on Thursday, the 23d ult. He 
leaves a family. Insanity, resulting from the rapping delusion, caused 
the mournful act. He was one of the selectmen of the town." 



* The case of Mr. D. has since been adjudicated in the Courts, and a 
verdict of "lunacy" obtained; so that, so much of his property as the 
medium did not carry. off in money, goes back to his family. He had 
hypothecated real estate to the amount of about $18,000 to raise 
money for his "medium." 



SPIRITUAL FREE-LOVE-ISM. 239 

By the reports of the various Lunatic Asylums throughout 
the Union, it appears that over 600 persons have been made 
insane by this delusion ; and, from other sources, it is ascer- 
tained that not less than fifty have committed suicide from 
the same cause. 

SPIRITUAL F RE E-LO V E-IS M. 

On page 101 to 104, we gave the u spiritualist" creed upon 
the subject of marriage, &c, as laid down by their chief 
leaders and mediums. Since that was written, their system 
has been more fully " developed," so that even the Tribune 
now says : 

" It is quite commonly taught by the spirits that the union of man 
and woman ought not only to be based on spiritual compatibility, but 
that as the inner attraction varies, the outward relations should also be 
made to change, thus securing as frequent, if not as religiously motived, 
a change of partners as obtains among the Oneida Perfectionists." 

This " Professor Brittan" denies; and the Tribune, by the 
following quotation from Adin Ballou, one of the spirit fra- 
ternity : 

" Comparatively few of the Spiritualists have as yet become aware 
of this Free Love development ; but it will soon be made manifest in 
sundry quarters. It will have something of a run, too. Mediums will 
be seen exchanging its significant congenialities, fondlings, caresses and 
indescribabilities. They will receive revelations from high pretending 
spirits, cautiously instructing them that the sexual communion of con- 
ge nials will greatly sanctify them for the reception of angelic minis- 
trations. Wives and husbands will be rendered miserable, alienated, 
'parted, and their families broken up. There will be spiritual matches, 
carnal degradations, and all the ultimate wretchedness thence inevi- 
tably resulting. Yet the very persons most active in bringing all this 
about, will protest their own purity, will resent every suspicion raised to 
their discredit, will accuse all who remonstrate against their course of 
doing so because personally Ze^-minded themselves, and will stand 
boldly out in their real character, only when it is no longer possible to 
disguise it. All this has commenced, and will be fulfilled in due 
time. What is to be done about the error deprecated ? Shall it be 
covered up, winked at, and allowed to work its mischiefs without oppo- 
sition, rebuke or alarm ? No. Those who are aware of these mis- 
chiefs are in duty bound to withstand them by timely warning, faithful 
reproof, and uncompromising disfellowship. Let the history of spirito- 



240 APPENDIX. 

carnality admonish us. In every age there has been an outbreak of it 
in connection with some form of religious and philosophical spiritual- 
ism, and always with the same abominable results. Commencing with 
extraordinary professions of innocence, sanctity, and solemn disclaim- 
ers of any desire for indulgence in carnal sensualism, it has invariably 
ended in gross adulteries, fornications, and the miseries consequent 
thereupon. Within the last generation, our country furnished two 
marked demonstrations of this nature ; that of the Cocranites in Maine, 
and that of the Prophet Matthias and his adherents in New York. 
Such cases are beacons on the heights to warn us of impending dan- 
gers. Let us all take heed betimes, lest under some specious pretence, 
deceiving spirits, in the flesh or out of it, seduce us into the pit-falls of 
corruption. I must earnestly deprecate and protest against this error 
of Free-Love-ism, which I have good reason to fear is beginning to find 
a welcome among Spiritualists." 

This earnest warning from Mr. Ballou is certainly very 
much to his personal credit ; but it shows that the " spiritual- 
ists" are acting up to their creed upon the subject of " con- 
genial partners," " free love" and divorce. 



end of Appendix. 



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